This Mediterranean Thanksgiving Cottage Cheese Lasagna Bake has a creamy, cheesy, and comforting texture. We prepare this lasagna with tender noodles, ground turkey, cottage cheese, spinach, tomatoes, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic, oregano, basil, parsley, and olive oil. This lasagna has approximately 425 calories and 35 g of net carbs. We make this lasagna in about 1 hour and 10 minutes. This Mediterranean Thanksgiving Cottage Cheese Lasagna Bake is ideal for Thanksgiving, family dinners, holidays, dinner parties, special occasions, cozy evenings, and Mediterranean-inspired meals. You can make this lasagna earlier because we refrigerate it for up to four days and freeze it for almost three months. You can serve this lasagna with Greek Cucumber Tomato Salad, Roasted Zucchini, Garlic Green Beans, Garlic Herb Bread, or Tzatziki.
STATS:
- Course: Main Course
- No. of Calories: 425 kcal
- Diet: Mediterranean
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Cuisine: Mediterranean, American
- Cook time: 45 minutes
- Portion size: 1 slice
- Cooking mode: Baking
- Total servings: 8
- Difficulty level: Easy
- Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
TOOLS:
- Skillet
- Bowl
- Baking dish
- Spatula
- Foil
- Knife
INGREDIENTS:
MEAT SAUCE:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp black pepper
COTTAGE CHEESE FILLING:
- 2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 2 cups spinach
- ¼ cup Parmesan
- 1 tbsp parsley
- ½ tsp oregano
- ¼ tsp black pepper
ASSEMBLY:
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 2 cups mozzarella
- ¼ cup parsley
INGREDIENT NOTES AND THEIR SUBSTITUTIONS:
GROUND TURKEY:
- We use ground turkey to provide a savory and protein-rich filling for this lasagna. As a replacement, you can use ground chicken or lean ground beef.
COTTAGE CHEESE:
- We use cottage cheese to create a creamy and protein-rich layer. As an alternative, you can use ricotta cheese.
SPINACH:
- Spinach provides color, freshness, and extra vegetables to the filling. You can also use well-drained frozen spinach.
OLIVE OIL:
- Olive oil provides moisture and Mediterranean flavor. Avocado oil can be used as an alternative.
MOZZARELLA:
- We use mozzarella to create a soft, melted, and golden cheesy topping. You can substitute provolone cheese.
PARMESAN:
- Parmesan adds a rich and savory flavor to the cottage cheese filling. Pecorino Romano can be used instead.
LASAGNA NOODLES:
- Lasagna noodles provide the tender layers of this bake. You can use whole-wheat lasagna noodles as an alternative.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- We warm the oven to 190° Celcius.
- Cook the lasagna noodles as mentioned on the package directions and strain them.
- Warm the olive oil in a pan and cook the onion for only three minutes.
- Include the ground turkey and cook till browned.
- Cook the garlic for almost thirty seconds.
- Include the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, paprika, salt, and black pepper.
- Slowly cook the sauce for almost eight minutes.
- Stir the Parmesan, black pepper, spinach, cottage cheese, parsley, oregano, and egg in a dish.
- Distribute some meat sauce in a dish, include mozzarella, a layer of noodles, meat sauce, and cottage cheese mixture.
- Make more layers till the elements are utilized.
- Garnish with the leftover mozzarella.
- Wrap using foil and bake for only thirty minutes.
- Eliminate the foil and bake for an extra ten minutes till golden.
- Allow the lasagna to sit for almost ten minutes.
- Sprinkle the fresh parsley and serve hot.
TIPS:
- Strain out the additional liquid from the spinach and cottage cheese.
- Avoid cooking the lasagna noodles too much.
- Slowly cook the meat sauce till it is lightly thick.
- Allow the lasagna to sit for some time and then make slices.
- You could assemble the lasagna beforehand for easy holiday preparation.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
FRESH & VEGETABLE:
- Greek Cucumber Tomato Salad
- Roasted Zucchini
- Garlic Green Beans
- Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
MEDITERRANEAN PAIRINGS:
- Tzatziki
- Garlic Yogurt Sauce
- Fresh Parsley
- Whole-Grain Bread
- Garlic Herb Bread
STORAGE INFORMATION:
FRIDGE:
- Put this lasagna in a closed box or wrap it tightly and chill it for more than four 4 days.
FREEZER:
- Store this lasagna in an airtight box or tightly covered for almost 3 months.
FAQs:
Will we utilize ricotta as a different choice for cottage cheese?
- Yes, you can use ricotta cheese to get a creamier filling.
May we utilize frozen spinach?
- Yes, you can use frozen spinach, although defrost and squeeze out the additional water first.
Could we utilize ground beef?
- Yes, you can swap the ground turkey with ground beef.
Will we prepare this lasagna beforehand?
- Yes, you can assemble the lasagna longer than twenty-four hours earlier, chill it, and then bake it.
How will we avoid watery lasagna?
- Strain out the cottage cheese and spinach perfectly and slowly cook the tomato sauce till lightly thickened.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATIONS:
Proteins: 29 g
Caloric Content: 425 kcal
Net carbs: 35 g
Sodium: 780 mg
Fiber: 4 g
Sugar: 7 g
Fats: 20 g
Portion Size: 1/8 of recipe
Total carbs: 39 g