Prep
1.Boil a large pot of water and cook the lasagne noodles only until they are a bit pliable, not fully cooked (not even al dente!) I find this keeps them firm after freezing. Rinse noodles in cool water and set aside
2.Heat a drying pan to medium heat and gently fry the ground moose, breaking up any large chunks. It’s unlikely you’ll need to drain the meat- moose is incredibly lean. Let cool.
3.In large bowl, mix crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic and herbs. Drain some of the liquid off of the whole tomatoes and roughly chop them up. Add to crushed tomato mixture.
4.In medium bowl mix cottage cheese and eggs
Layering the Lasagne
1.Grease the bottom of a 9x11 deep aluminum disposable baking pan
2.Cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of your tomato sauce mixture
3.Place a layer of noodles, making sure all areas are covered. Feel free to cut noodles if needed!
4.Place ½ of the ground meet on top of the noodles
5.Cover meat with 1/3 of the tomato sauce
6.Cover sauce with a layer of spinach
7.Cover spinach with ½ of the cottage cheese and egg mixture
8.Cover cottage cheese with 1/3 of the mozzarella
9.Repeat steps 3-8
10.Cover with remaining noodles and pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella
11.Cover the pan with tinfoil (double it up if you’re planning to freeze for a while)
12.Freeze immediately
To Cook
1.Remove lasagne from freezer and let thaw 1-2 hours if possible (but not necessary)
2.Heat oven to 375F
3.Place lasagne on middle rack and cook for 1.5 hours*, removing tinfoil for last 15 minutes to brown the top
*Cook times may vary from 1-2 hours. Check frequently after 1 hour and gauge cook time from there.
HEADLINE: Dinner is done
BY LEIGHA BENFORD
For Wild Northerner
It’s been a busy, busy summer in this neck of the woods. In May, the Lumberjack and I were thrilled to welcome our first little Wild Northerner, Grace Mary. Gracie comes from a long line of people that love the outdoors, and we can already tell that she has a wild side!
While I was pregnant, everyone told me to make freezer meals. It didn’t seem to matter what, or how, as long as some sort of sustenance could be thawed at a moment’s notice. It was one of the last things we did before welcoming the baby, and I’ll tell you, I’m so thankful that we did.
At first it felt like more work turning frozen meat into frozen meat creations. I was certain I’d have time (and the desire!) to cook after having a baby. I was wrong. So, so wrong. I barely even went to the kitchen during the first week, and I can’t even say I personally turned on the stove at all in the first month. Freezer meals were the absolute win.
In addition to hearty part Wild Northerner, our Gracie is also part Italian. It’s a small part, but big enough to have a catchy last name and a good helping of pasta now and then. One of the best freezer dishes that we ended up with was this cheesy moose lasagne. Ground moose has a great mild flavour that blends well with the other ingredients. If you’re fresh out of moose, or prefer a more traditional dish, beef also works perfectly. (I don’t recommend using venison, as the “gamey” taste can be a bit too overpowering here).
Now, you don’t have to have recently given birth to enjoy the benefits of wholesome, homemade freezer meals. Any busy family, or any busy individual can benefit from popping something delicious in the oven without the daily prep. You can’t freeze time, but you can definitely freeze food!
Moose Lasagne
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Prep
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Layering the Lasagne
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To Cook
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*Cook times may vary from 1-2 hours. Check frequently after 1 hour and gauge cook time from there.
Moose Lasagne
1 box lasagne noodles (NOT the oven ready type)
1lb ground moose
1 tin crushed tomatoes
1 tin whole tomatoes
6-8 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 container cottage cheese (or ricotta)
2 eggs
1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and chopped (or 1 box frozen cut spinach, thawed and drained)
1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 dried tsp basil (or, several fresh leaves of each herb chopped)
3 cloves fresh garlic