Using What You Have:Inexpensive Vegetable Lasagna

I love fresh vegetables and fruits, but this is one item that can really cost me a fortune if I don't pay attention. One of the ways I get around that is by picking up just about any random marked down produce items if I like it and the price is inexpensive enough. But what does one do with a pound and a half of zucchini, two pounds of mushrooms, and bargain carrots?

One of my tricks is to use them to replace meat. You can add vegetables and use less meat, or replace the meat entirely. Yesterday we had vegetable lasagna using some of those bargain carrots (.69 cents for a huge pack), mushrooms (two pounds for .99 cents), and zucchini (five good sized ones for .49 cents).

Here's how I made the lasagna using my bargain produce. Including the noodles, sauce, and cheese, this dish cost about three dollars to make. I still have tons of mushrooms and zucchini left, but there are many other dishes that I can make with these things.

First I cut up the mushrooms and grated the carrots and zucchini. I then cooked the vegetables in a little bit of butter. After they were done, I poured a jar of bargain spaghetti sauce over it. I poured about 1/4 c on the bottom of my lasagna pan first, before I added it to the veggies.

Then I got my "ricotta" (cottage cheese on manager's special that had been in my freezer for awhile) and mixed it with some garlic powder and oregano. I also added an egg and mixed it in well.

Next I layered sauce, noodles, ricotta mix, and cheese until I reached the top of my pan.

Ta-da! A yummy meal that will have lots of leftovers for my family. Lasagna freezes well and is also an excellent lunch to take to work, if you have access to a microwave.