Cream Cheese Lasagna
This stuff is amazing. So yummy. I made it a long, long time ago with Dreamfield's Lasagna noodles--before all the hoopla about their real carb content. I don't bother to buy it anymore (although I never did much, as I had already discovered that it raised the hubby's blood sugar). But forget that! Who needs the pasta anyway? This one uses eggplant slices to replace the pasta. Not quite the same texture, but superb flavor!
The thing that makes this dish so special is the cream cheese. Most lasagna recipes rely on ricotta cheese or cottage cheese. This has so much more flavor. Can you say creamy? True that it looks a little weird before it bakes. The tomato mixed in with the cream cheese looks pink. Fear not, when baked the pink is gone and all is well! I used sausage for even more flavor, but it is good with beef too. In the original recipe, I made a larger lasagna, and used half sausage and half beef. This recipe is easy to double, so do that if you have a crowd.
Cream Cheese Lasagna with Eggplant and Sausage
1 lb pork sausage
1 eggplant
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz cream cheese
14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
5 oz frozen spinach
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or any of your choice)
In large skillet, brown sausage. Cut the eggplant into thin slices. Cut larger slices in half. Place slices on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. With paper towels, press the moisture off the slices. Brush each with olive oil. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and flip each slice. Bake another 5-7 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven.
While those are baking, combine the cream cheese, diced tomatoes, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. (If cheese is cold, heat it a bit before adding tomatoes). Place 1/3 of the sausage, along with a bit of the pan drippings, in the base of an 8 inch square dish. Top the sausage with a layer of eggplant slices. Spoon 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture over the slices. Top with half of the spinach. Repeat layers of sausage, eggplant and cream cheese. Add the remaining spinach. Add the last of the sausage and cheese mixture. Top lasagna with shredded cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Let lasagna rest 10 minutes before cutting.
Serves 6: 464 calories 6 net carbs 38 g fat
Carb counts can vary with cream cheese, so watch. Neufchatel would lower the calories and fat a bit, but some have higher carbs. My Fitness Pal had the Neufchatel version 2 carbs per serving higher. I can't see how that can be. I hate how different software programs give you different figures. Grr. Just go with this is somewhere between 6 and 8 net carbs per serving.
The eggplant does not exactly stay in obvious layers like the pasta counterpart. It is really tasty, however. This is nice reheated, so go ahead and make a double batch if you want. Divide it up for lunches or freeze an extra. The busy upcoming holidays will be a time you will appreciate having those frozen meals waiting for you!
Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends
Order any of our great cookbooks at http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php
Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles, A Table for Two here.
The thing that makes this dish so special is the cream cheese. Most lasagna recipes rely on ricotta cheese or cottage cheese. This has so much more flavor. Can you say creamy? True that it looks a little weird before it bakes. The tomato mixed in with the cream cheese looks pink. Fear not, when baked the pink is gone and all is well! I used sausage for even more flavor, but it is good with beef too. In the original recipe, I made a larger lasagna, and used half sausage and half beef. This recipe is easy to double, so do that if you have a crowd.
Cream Cheese Lasagna with Eggplant and Sausage
1 lb pork sausage
1 eggplant
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz cream cheese
14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
5 oz frozen spinach
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or any of your choice)
In large skillet, brown sausage. Cut the eggplant into thin slices. Cut larger slices in half. Place slices on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 10 minutes. With paper towels, press the moisture off the slices. Brush each with olive oil. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and flip each slice. Bake another 5-7 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven.
While those are baking, combine the cream cheese, diced tomatoes, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. (If cheese is cold, heat it a bit before adding tomatoes). Place 1/3 of the sausage, along with a bit of the pan drippings, in the base of an 8 inch square dish. Top the sausage with a layer of eggplant slices. Spoon 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture over the slices. Top with half of the spinach. Repeat layers of sausage, eggplant and cream cheese. Add the remaining spinach. Add the last of the sausage and cheese mixture. Top lasagna with shredded cheese. Bake 30 minutes. Let lasagna rest 10 minutes before cutting.
Serves 6: 464 calories 6 net carbs 38 g fat
Carb counts can vary with cream cheese, so watch. Neufchatel would lower the calories and fat a bit, but some have higher carbs. My Fitness Pal had the Neufchatel version 2 carbs per serving higher. I can't see how that can be. I hate how different software programs give you different figures. Grr. Just go with this is somewhere between 6 and 8 net carbs per serving.
The eggplant does not exactly stay in obvious layers like the pasta counterpart. It is really tasty, however. This is nice reheated, so go ahead and make a double batch if you want. Divide it up for lunches or freeze an extra. The busy upcoming holidays will be a time you will appreciate having those frozen meals waiting for you!
Get more great recipes at the Low Carbing Among Friends Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LowCarbingAmongFriends
Order any of our great cookbooks at http://amongfriends.us/24-7-LCD.php
Order my original e-book or the latest version for couples and singles, A Table for Two here.
More posts from
