Lasagna

You can have lasagna on 21-Day Fix??? Yes, yes you can!

I have a favorite lasagna recipe I always make for dinner parties, potlucks, taking people meals after they have babies, etc. It just needed a little modifying so that I could enjoy it myself, while keeping in line with the 21-Day Fix eating plan.

Enjoy!

21-Day Fix Portions:

Okay, so here’s what the official eating plan tells you to do when eat a meat lasagna- It says to portion it using a green container but count it as 2 yellow, 1 red. With this particular recipe, it seems more logical in my head to still use the green container for portion control, but instead count 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 green, 1 blue- that’s what I would personally count, but I think you will be fine checking off either of these portion recommendations.

Ingredients

1. Whole wheat lasagna noodles (8 if you want 2 layers, 12 if you want 3 layers)
2. 1 lb lean ground turkey
3. 1½ jars clean pasta sauce (I like Classico. If you want it extra saucy, use 2 full jars. If you like less sauce, you can get by with 1 jar)
4. 1 carton cottage cheese
5. 1 8oz. package shredded mozzarella or italian blend cheese
6. ¾ cup real shredded parmesan cheese
7. 1 egg
8. 1 green container (combined) finely chopped celery, onion, carrot
9. 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
10. ¼ cup red wine (optional, for pan deglazing)
11. ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
12. Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Boil water for noodles (add a splash of extra virgin olive oil so they don’t stick together). Cook noodles according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, in a dutch oven, brown ground turkey. Season with italian seasoning and remove from pan.
3. Add a drizzle of EVOO to the same pan. Saute vegetables and garlic until tender.
   
4. Return the ground turkey to the pan. Add the wine to deglaze the pan and allow wine to reduce.
   
5. Stir in pasta sauce and parsley and simmer until heated through. Feel free to adjust sauce seasonings to taste (you can use garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, etc.)
   
6. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg until well beaten
   
7. Add the cottage cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, ½ cup parmesan, and a generous sprinkle of italian seasoning. Stir to combine with the egg until everything is well blended.
   
8. When the noodles have finished boiling, rinse with cold water and pat dry completely using kitchen towels.
9. Begin the lasagna layering process in a lightly-greased 13x9 pan: Sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, repeat.
   
10. Once you have added the final layer, pour any remaining sauce over top. 
    
11. Then sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup parmesan on the top.
    
12. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese on the top is bubbly.
    

ONE PAN Roasted Chicken and Veggies

Ever just feel at a loss for what to do with chicken breast? They are a staple of healthy diets as a lean protein, but plain chicken breast definitely gets old.

I was scrolling through pinterest trying to find some chicken inspiration that didn’t involve drowning it in cream of chicken soup or frying it in flour and breadcrumbs, and then it hit me: just keep it simple- and simple doesn’t have to mean flavorless.

And I had every ingredient I needed on hand already. I whipped up this delicious, 21-day fix approved dinner in about 20 minutes.

This can be adjusted to suit 1 person or a whole family (just alter the amount of chicken and veggies used) and can be customized to whatever flavor profile you desire (see optional variations below).

Plus, dishes are a breeze afterward because its only ONE PAN! That makes this momma happy!

Fix Portions: 1 red (per chicken breast), 1 green (per veggie selected- you can adjust this to however many you have/need), 1 yellow (optional- count if using potatoes or sweet potatoes), 1 orange (for the salad dressing).

Ingredients

1. 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (per person)
2. Veggies of choice (Suggestions: squash, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, carrots; Red potatoes are good too, but remember these aren’t counted as a veggie on 21-day fix)
3. CLEAN salad dressing (I suggest using one of the dressings in the 21-day fix book or this Bragg brand Vinaigrette is excellent)

Directions

1. Marinate chicken in vinaigrette (at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours… If pressed for time, you can skip this step, but the marinating yields more flavor)
2. Place chicken and veggies in pyrex baking dish
3. Drizzle chicken and veggies with 1 orange container of vinaigrette of choice
4. Bake on 450 for 20-25 minutes (until chicken is cooked through)

Optional Variations

For an asian twist, use the asian citrus vinaigrette recipe in the 21-day fix book and pair with veggies like carrots, broccoli, and zucchini. Would be great served over some brown rice!

Interested in trying the 21-Day Fix for yourself? For more information, please click here or visit www.beachbodycoach.com/melheywardfitness