Low Carb Eggplant Lasagna

13 March 2020 Bookmark • 0

This low carb eggplant lasagna is gluten-free, high in protein, complete of flavor, and easily made dairy-free or vegan. Ideal to freeze for leftovers!

This recipe can be made dairy-unfastened by means of subbing vegan ricotta, vegan parmesan, vegan mozzarella cheese. It could be made absolutely vegan with the aid of subbing cooked lentils or meatless floor for the pork! regardless of how you're making it, this recipe is certain to grow to be a favourite to your weekly meal prep rotation.

Low Carb Eggplant Lasagna

It’s critical to pre-bake the eggplant so it’s smooth and not overly firm. Roasting earlier additionally gets rid of excess water so you don’t have watery lasagna.

First, I sliced each eggplant lengthwise into one-quarter inch thick slices. Then, I organized the slices on a baking sheet covered with parchment (the parchment is optional but makes easy-up so much less difficult!) And lightly lined them with olive oil cooking spray. Eventually, I roasted the eggplant slices inside the oven at 400 ranges F for 10-15 minutes. You may flip the slices midway thru, however I didn’t find it necessary.

INGREDIENTS :

2 large eggplants sliced 1/4” thick lengthwise
2 lbs. 93% lean ground beef or meatless crumbles
1/2 cup onion chopped (optional)
1/2 cup red pepper chopped (optional)
3 cloves garlic minced (optional)
4 cups (32 fl. oz.) low sugar marinara sauce
2 tbsp. fresh parsley optional
1 1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
2 large (1/4 cup) egg whites optional
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg optional
2 cups (8 oz.) part skim mozzarella can use dairy free
See above for substitutions.

INSTRUCTIONS :

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange eggplant slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment and lightly coat with olive oil cooking spray.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until tender not mushy, then remove from oven and set aside.
Set oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
While eggplant is roasting, brown ground beef over medium-high heat and drain fat.
Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté over medium heat until garlic is fragrant.
Add pasta sauce and fresh parsley; simmer with lid cracked over low heat for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine cottage cheese, parmesan, egg white, and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl. You can blend together if you want a texture more similar to ricotta!
To assemble lasagna: Layer 2 cups ground beef mixture, one layer of eggplant (slightly overlapping), 1 cup cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup mozzarella, another 2 cups ground beef mixture, second layer of eggplant, remaining 1 cup cottage cheese mixture, remaining 1 cup ground beef mixture, and remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until cheese is melted and browned around edges.
Let sit for 15 minutes before slicing into eight equal pieces. Enjoy!
Store leftovers in fridge up to one week or in the freezer up to one month. To reheat, either microwave one serving for 1-2 minutes; or bake the entire lasagna at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.