Breakfast Lasagne

I love lasagne. It is a fond memory of childhood. My mother’s recipe wasn’t anything special, but she made it with love, which made it extra good to a little girl growing up. In honor of National Lasagne Day, July 29th here is a new interpretation of the old classic. This is a breakfast lasagne. It is warm and delicious and a great way to start any day. Also great for pot lucks and get togethers. It is a great way to get a healthy meal into kids before school. Customize the recipe with your favorite ingredients for a family classic that can be handed down through the years, creating a fond memory for your own household.

Breakfast Lasagne

Ingredients:
1 pkg. Lasagne noodles, cooked to package specifications
16 oz. Ricotta or cottage cheese
6 oz. pkg. frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and chopped into small pieces
1 C. Mushrooms, sliced and sauteed (optional)
1 small onion, chopped and sauteed (optional)
Bacon or sausage, cooked and crumbled into small pieces
6 eggs, scrambled loosely
2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
6 C. Garlic cream sauce (either canned, or see recipe below)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the chopped, drained spinach with the Ricotta or Cottage cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then set aside.
In 8 ½ x 11 baking pan, layer the following: (Begin with a small amount of garlic sauce so the noodles won’t stick, then top with the last of the sauce at the end).
A layer of lasagne noodles
a thin layer of the Ricotta/Spinach mixture
mushrooms and onions
bacon or sausage
scrambled eggs
Garlic Cream Sauce
Repeat until ingredients are gone, reserving one layer of noodles to top the dish with
place the last of the cream sauce on top of the last layer of noodles
Top with mozzarella.
Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until bubbly and the cheese is melted. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking and turn the oven up to 425 degrees to brown the cheese. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Garlic Cream Sauce:
½ C. Oil or butter
½ C. flour
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
2 T. chopped garlic
6 C. Whole milk or Half and Half (can substitute low fat milk)

Over medium heat warm the oil or butter in a saute pan. Stir in the flour, making a loose paste. Season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that you will be adding the milk or cream later. After the flour mixture has cooked for 2-3 minutes over medium heat add the chopped garlic, stirring so the garlic will not burn. After the garlic is warm, quickly whisk in the liquid all at once, incorporating all of the flour mixture into the milk. Continue to stir constantly until the mixture comes to a boil, thickening it. Taste for seasonings and readjust if needed. Once the cream sauce has been brought back to the boil, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before using for lasagne dish.

© Loretta Sinclair 2009
www.SinclairInkSpot.com