CSA Leftovers Lasagna and the week in preview

I love making a casserole on Sunday.  Well, I may not love it on Sunday, but I love it on Monday, Tuesday, and sometimes even Wednesday when we eat it for dinner.  I plan a few different sides and we are all set.  This week I planned on spinach and meat-y mushroom lasagna.

Looking in the fridge... we still have a few orphan veggies from our CSA share.  Baby turnips and kohlrabi.  I feel a commitment to use our vegetables from the CSA.  But what to do with baby turnips and kohlrabi is beyond me.  Maybe you dish these up regularly, but I admit to not even knowing where to start.  I googled turnip and it said "similar to rutabaga", well thanks google this is one time you haven't come through.

They look pretty!

My best bet in this situation is to "hide" the veggies.  Sometimes this is in meatloaf or even bread (think zucchini variety).  But it always works really well in pasta sauce!  So peeled, chopped, and sauteed with the mushrooms they go.

My favorite simple lasagna recipe is actually on the back of the Creamette Oven Ready Lasagna box.  The recipe is for ground beef lasagna, but I play with it all the time.  I haven't made Baby Turnip and Kohlrabi Lasagna before, but here goes!

Simple Lasagna Directions

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground beef or sausage (Here I often substitute portabella mushrooms chopped and sauteed with a little butter until the water is cooked off.  Then season with worcestershire and anchovie paste to up the meat-y flavor)
• 3 cups (26 ounce jar) spaghetti sauce 
• 1 cup (8 ounce can) tomato sauce (or just more spaghetti sauce!)
• 1 3/4 cups (15 ounce) ricotta cheese  (I added thawed and drained shopped spinach to the ricotta mixture)
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 12 pieces CREAMETTE Oven Ready Lasagna, uncooked
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

• 1
  1. Remove 12 pieces of pasta from package. Heat oven to 350°.
• 2
  2. In large skillet, cook meat until browned; remove from heat. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce.
• 3
  3. In small bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, egg, basil and oregano.
• 4
  ASSEMBLY:
• 5
  1. In 13x9x2-inch baking dish, spread 3/4 cup meat sauce.
• 6
  2. Place 3 pieces uncooked pasta crosswise over sauce. Pieces should not overlap or touch side of pan since they will expand when baked.
• 7
  3. Spread about 2/3 cup ricotta mixture evenly over pasta. Spread 3/4 cup meat sauce evenly over ricotta covering pasta completely; sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
• 8
  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 TWO more times. Top with remaining 3 pasta pieces. Spread remaining meat sauce completely over pasta; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
• 9
  5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; remove foil. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Serve with additional sauce, if desired.
• 10
  MAKE AHEAD: Prepare recipe as directed. DO NOT BAKE. Cover with plastic wrap, then foil. Refrigerate up to 48 hours or freeze up to 2 months. Remove plastic wrap; replace with foil. Bake refrigerated lasagna at 350° for 40 minutes and frozen lasagna about 1 hour 30 minutes, removing foil during last 10 minutes of baking.
• 11
  MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS: In microwave-safe dish, prepare recipe as directed; omit mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top layer. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 13-15 minutes, turning twice during cooking. Carefully remove plastic wrap; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Replace plastic wrap. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 4 minutes or until bubbly.

NOTES

This recipe can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours or the freezer for up to 2 months. Make ahead directions are at the end of this recipe ... as well as microwave directions ...

And this one is a cliff hanger.  Will the kids eat the lasagna?  Will they know they are eating vegetables that they have never even heard of before?  Will baby turnips and kohlrabi be my new favorite vegetables?  I'll do a quick post again tomorrow with a photo and details.

And the update.  The lasagna was great.  I loved it.  The kohlrabi and turnips added a little texture and earthy taste.  The girls weren't quite as impressed with the "earthy" taste, but powered through for at least a few bites.  Still a great way to clear out the fridge for those "orphan" veggies!

The week in preview

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday:  Lasagna!  I'll pair it with classic romaine salad Monday,  Arugula salad with homemade garlic bread Tuesday,  Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil Wednesday.  I may not be able to wait until Wednesday for the Caprese, so lets say Monday on that one.

Thursday:  Ruby has reported that my cuban sandwich and black bean soup is her favorite meal, so we'll try it again Thursday.  I'll make enough pineapple, mango pico de gallo for Friday too.

Friday:  Grilled salmon with pineapple mango pico de gallo and cilantro rice (maybe even from our own garden by then!)