Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Lasagna For One



Did you check out my post about the challenges of being
Frugal, Hungry, and Single?  Are you too struggling with the stresses of cooking for a small household while trying (or needing) to stick to a tight budget? 
May I present... lasagna for one.  After all, who doesn't love lasagna?

The great thing about this lasagna, is there is no wrong way to make it! Lasagna for one isn't about the recipe but the method of preparation, so if you have a family favorite lasagna recipe - do it up! I love my grandma's lasagna and she says her recipe came from the back of the Mueller's box.  If you need a lasagna recipe check out this one from "my grandma" (aka the folks at Mueller!)

What is the secret to lasagna for one?  Loaf pans.  Simple, aluminum (disposable) loaf pans!

Here are my lasagna supplies & ingredients ready to go! (Of course I used cheese too).

To make this lasagna I started like normal, by boiling my pasta noodles and browning some meat.  I went with ground turkey.

Once the noodles and meat are ready it is time to get your loaf pans out and get layering!

Sauce, noodle, meat, repeat!  Oops - that's sauce, noodle, meat CHEESE repeat!






 Once you have enough layers to fill the pan, your lasagna is done!  Now it is time to wrap those pans up nice and freezer tight, and you have some yummy lasagna ready for the freezer!  I used about a pound and a half of meat, 2 cups of cheese, and a box of noodles which yielded 3 loaf pan size lasagnas.  I had lots of extra noodles however, so next time I plan to either boil only half a box of noodles, or add some veggies into meat mixture to bulk it up! 



This post is part of my "Frugal Food" series, be sure to check out:
Frugal, Hungry and Single - my intro to the challenges of cooking for one on a budget
More Meals for One - Four simple & versatile ideas for single cooking

7 comments:

  1. Loaf pans! Such a great idea! I love lasagna but because I live alone I don't make it very often. Thanks for the tip!

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    1. Thanks :) I was thinking of what to do w/ my giant container of ricotta the other day (I had intended to make lasagna when I had company but it didn't happen), and the idea just popped into my head! While I love lasagna, casseroles, pasta bakes etc. they're not always the best for folks like us who live alone. I am hoping that when I take them from the freezer to use they're as good as they look.

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  2. Looks great... we love lasagna and have a large family, so it doesn't last long.... but I know those who live alone, just usually don't even bother with it... so this is a great idea for them. :)

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    1. Lasagna is definitely a great big family meal. In our family it always served for Christmas (Eve) dinner. And yes, I agree that a lot of people who live alone just skip it all together.

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  3. Oh my gosh, this is so smart! I love making lasagna, but then we have to eat it all week. I'm so doing this!! (Thanks for linking up to Works for Me Wednesday!)

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    1. I am glad you liked the idea so much! It just sort of occurred to me, and except for the balance of how much noodles vs. filling were needed this was so easy! Hope it turns out well for you :)

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  4. Hi Marilyn - I am glad you found this trick helpful. It worked well, adn those little loaf pans stack excellently in the freezer as well! I was happy to find #WonderfulWednesday and will definitely be returning to check out the party again, and participate when I have more food posts!

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