Loaded Sweet Potato Lasagna Food

SWEET POTATO LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the tomato sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mash into a chunky puree using a potato masher. Bring to a simmer and partially cover the pan with a lid. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat.
• For the lasagna: While the sauce is cooking, drain the water from the spinach, place in a clean kitchen towel and wring well to remove any excess water. Break up the spinach into a large bowl. Set aside 1 cup of the mozzarella, then add the remaining mozzarella to the bowl with the spinach. Add the ricotta, Parmesan, nutmeg, eggs, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until well combined.
• Peel the sweet potatoes and trim a small bit from one of the longer ends on each so they will sit flat and not roll. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To assemble the lasagna: Add about 3/4 cup of sauce to the bottom of a deep 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Place a single layer of sweet potato slices along the bottom. Top with one-quarter of the ricotta and spinach mixture and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread gently into an even layer. Dollop about 3/4 cup of sauce on top of the ricotta mixture. Top with another layer of sweet potato slices facing the opposite direction from the previous layer. Repeat with ricotta mixture and sauce until you have 4 layers, ending with the remaining sauce.
• Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the reserved mozzarella and bake until the lasagna is bubbling, the mozzarella is starting to brown and the sweet potatoes are tender when a paring knife is inserted into the center, an additional 45 to 60 minutes. Let sit for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.

SWEET POTATO LASAGNA

Steps:

• For the marinara: Put the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, vinegar and Italian seasoning in a soup pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to bubble. Lower the temperature to a simmer and let simmer for 1 hour. Mix the marinara with an immersion blender until only slightly chunky.
• For the meat filling: Cook the onions and garlic in a large saute pan for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and cook until it begins to brown. Add the red wine and let simmer uncovered, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the meat filling to the finished marinara.
• For the cheese filling: Combine the cream cheese, shredded cheese, feta, sour cream, basil, oregano and thyme in a large bowl.
• For the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a deep 9-by-13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place one layer of sweet potato slices in the bottom, overlapping the edges just barely. Spread 1 1/2 cups meat marinara over the potatoes, then top with a third of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat the process 2 more times, layering meat marinara, sweet potatoes and cream cheese mixture. Top with the shredded cheese.
• Cover in foil and bake for 55 minutes. Remove the foil, then bake 5 minutes more.