My Foodie Call

Everyone loves a good lasagna.

Lasagna with broccoli.

School is back in session. Homework, nightly sports or other activities… Full speed ahead. No time to make a meal with a ton of prep involved.

I have made many time-consuming lasagnas, this one not so much. This has frozen broccoli in it. Sound the alarms. Frozen. I realize that many may take issue to the idea of not using fresh, but hey it’s better than running through Chick Fil A, right?

Give this one a shot. It turned out pretty good.

Whole Wheat Broccoli Lasagna

vegan

• 1 (12 oz) box whole wheat lasagna noodles (use whole wheat, ok? just do it)
• 1 16 ounce package of frozen broccoli, thawed
• 1 14-ounce package of extra-firm tofu
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 12 ounce package of meatless crumbles
• 4 cups vegan mozzarella (or use regular cheese , no worries!)

• 5 cups of marinara sauce

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions.

(ok, a little prep. I lied.)

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Drain and then mash the tofu in a mixing bowl.

Mash tofu with the back of a fork.

Chop the thawed broccoli (I let mine thaw in the fridge overnight.)

Chop it as fine as you’d like. Most kids do not do “chunky”, am I right?? My kids are a tad older so I will leave it like this, but I am guessing younger kids might need it fine-chopped.

To your mashed tofu add:

Your chopped broccoli, meatless crumbles, garlic powder, onion salt, basil, and oregano.

Getting there…

Spray the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch baking pan or casserole dish. Place 1 layer of noodles on the bottom of the pan and spoon on some of the broccoli-tofu mixture. Then sprinkle some of your of shredded “cheese” and 1 cup of marinara sauce, making sure the sauces are evenly distributed over the whole pan. Add a second layer of noodles and more broccoli-tofu mixture.

This is after a couple of layers.

Continue layering until you have used all of your noodles, tofu mixture, sauce, and cheese. I like to end my lasagna with cheese so that the kids can’t see what is underneath to minimize the complaints!

Ready for the oven.

Wrap the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling. Then uncover switch to broil (low) for an additional 7-10 minutes. Your cheese should be lightly browned and have a little crisp to the surface layer.

Out of the oven.

Dinner is served.

This was a slam dunk.

One of my kids had 3 servings of this. Another actually said he liked it. Shocker. This child rarely compliments my food.

Any fast meals for you soccer families out there?