New baby…and lasagna rolls!

Well, since we last spoke…I had a baby! We welcomed our first son, William Orlando, into the world on August 4th. It was a bit of a stressful event. I went in for a growth scan at maternal fetal medicine and it was determined that he was not doing so well. He was measuring small (IUGR) and it was highly advised that I be induced ASAP. I was 39 weeks and 3 days, so I went ahead with it and started the process the next evening.

Will-Will (as he has been dubbed by his sisters) came out healthy, thriving, and weighing 6.7lbs! He was (still is) perfect, and his extra chromosome that caused us so much anxiety proved to be the sweetest blessing. He had a 24 hour NICU stay due to some blood glucose problems, but he was able to get past it and come home with us a few days later.

On August 29th, we did find out that he has a small hole in his heart, a VSD to be exact. This is an issue that is being closely monitored, but it is not causing any problems as of right now. His cardiologist is fantastic, and we go back to see him in a couple weeks to see if it has closed on its own, or if he will need surgery. Please pray for my little dude.

I have been pretty skimpy on the recipes as of late. With the move, having a baby, and going to all of these specialist appointments- I have not really paid much attention to my camera. It stares at me all day on my kitchen counter top, so this week I promised myself I would get a recipe or two down in the books. So here we go!

Lasagna Rolls

You will need:

• 1 box of lasagna noodles (you’ll need 12, but I prefer to boil 13 in case one rips)
• 1lb lean ground beef, or ground turkey
• 2 cups of baby spinach
• 1 15oz container of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• 2 tsp olive oil

To get started, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 2 tsp olive oil to the water, as well as 1 tsp salt. The olive oil will keep the noodles from sticking together. Add in the lasagna noodles, and cook until almost done. Drain the water, and lay the noodles out on a lightly oiled sheet pan, or on a nonstick silicon mat.

Preheat your oven to 350*F. Heat a large skillet or sautee pain over med-high heat. Brown the ground beef until it is just cooked through. Turn down the heat to medium and add in the dried basil and oregano, garlic powder, and remaining tsp of salt. Stir until seasonings mix in with the meat. Add the spinach on top of the meat and let it wilt down. Give everything a good stir, and turn off the heat.

In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta, beaten egg, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Give it a stir. Add the meat and spinach mixture to the ricotta mixture until it is all combined. Grab a baking dish of your choice, and get ready to roll!

Pour 1/4 cup of your pasta sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread around. Scoop about 2tbsp of the meat mixture and gently spread  over each lasagna noodle. It’s easier to use your hands honestly, so go for it if you want! Just make sure they are clean. I keep about 1-1.5 inches empty on each side of the noodle. This helps them roll easier and it also prevents the filling from spilling out. Add each completed lasagna roll to the baking dish. You can put them side by side, or a small distance apart. Either way works.

Top the completed lasagna rolls with the remaining pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered at 350*F for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and slightly browned on top. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Don’t these look awesome?! They are easy to make, and I have yet to hear a single complaint about them from my kids (even with the 2 cups of spinach in there). You can also make these ahead of time, freeze them, and bake them off at 350*F for 1 hour covered with foil, and bake for another 10 minutes uncovered. Great make ahead meal!

Will-Will is going to be baptized within the coming months. I am going to be an emotional wreck, but in a good way. Again, please pray for him… we really want his heart to be healed.

I hope you love this recipe. If you try it, please leave me some feedback! As always, thank you for your support.

Lots of love and many blessings,

Chelsea

If we love one another,
God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

1 John 4:12