Italian girl at heart

I love pasta...any kind. White sauce, red sauce, cheese sauce. Sauce with seafood, chicken, bacon or just plain. I could eat pasta for every meal.

One of my favorite home cooked meals is lasagna. But because it is such a long process to make, I don't get around to making it very much. (And the store bought kind is not the same.) Whenever I do get the time to make it, I try to make an extra at the same time and stick it in the freezer. I still don't get it often enough.

So, when I saw this, I had to try it. Quick, easy and scrumptious!

I modified it a bit to our taste and the girls and I loved it. Unfortunately, Jeremy was at rugby so it did not get to try it fresh out of the oven, but I have no doubt he will love it also. Plus it has no pasta in it.

That's right...lasagna with no pasta. But, it taste just like the real thing!!

Here we go:

Rice Lasagna (modified from Jane 4 Girls recipe)

2-3 c. cooked rice (I used brown rice)
1 pound of ground beef
1 onion, diced
A big handful of fresh baby spinach, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, depending on your taste, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (I used an 8 oz. block of cheese and shredded myself and it was enough.)
1 c. Parmesan cheese
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If need be, start to cook your rice. Once cooked, drain of the water and set aside to cool.

2. Heat pan to medium high. Throw in the onion and garlic. After a few minutes, add the ground beef. Once beef is fully cooked, drain the pan to get rid of the grease.

3. Return the beef mixture to the pan. Add the baby spinach. Once it starts to wilt, add the spaghetti sauce and let simmer while you finish the rest.

4. Combine the eggs and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Add the cooked rice. Stir it around until fully mixed.

5. In another bowl, put all the mozzarella cheese and the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, Mix well.

6. Now it where you start to layer...rice mixture, beef and sauce mixture, cheese mixture. Repeat as necessary. I only had two layers of each.

7. Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is bubbly, about 15 minutes.

I am telling you, this tasted just like lasagna! It is a kid-friendly recipe also...Macie and I made it in about 15 minutes from start to finish. It looks like it will be freezer friendly also, which means it will be great during busy nights!

Let me know if you try it!

Added: I also linked this post to Girlymama's "comfort food" recipes post. Thanks for hosting Melissa! I will be better prepared next week with a new recipe.