Healthy Turkey Lasagna Recipe

healthy turkey lasagna Recipe Overview

This turkey lasagna recipe uses a turkey ragù meat sauce and a béchamel sauce for the layering, along with mozzarella, parmesan, and lasagna noodles. This is a great alternative to the classic beef lasagna since turkey is a leaner meat and is more affordable than beef. In both lasagna recipes, the béchamel is the key ingredient in this turkey lasagna bolognese recipe since it offers a velvety creaminess and richness that characterizes the best lasagnas – including the veggie lasagnas.

Kitchen Tools For This healthy turkey lasagna Recipe:

Cooking Ragù for our turkey Lasagna recipe tools

• Large deep Skillet with lid or large saucepan with lid

• Knife and cutting board

• Wooden spoon

Ragù Cooking Tools

Cooking béchamel for our turkey lasagna recipe tools

• Large saucepan

• Measuring cups

• Measuring spoons

• Whisk

• Silicone spatula

Béchamel Cooking Tools

Cooking turkey lasagna recipe kitchen tools:

• Baking dish or casserole dish which can be used in the oven

• Spoon for dishing and spreading sauces

Turkey Lasagna Cooking Tools

turkey Lasagna Bolognese Ingredients:

Ingredients for Lasagna Béchamel Sauce

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 cups whole milk

• 1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

Lasagna Béchamel Ingredients

Ingredients For turkey Lasagna Ragù Sauce

• Carrot – 1 cup shredded

• Bay leaves – 2

• Salt – 1 teaspoon

• Flour – 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

• Paprika – 2 teaspoons

• Garlic – 2 cloves, minced

• Hamburger meat – 2 lbs lean meat – or grind your own meat

turkey Lasagna Ragù Ingredients

• Pepper – 1/2 teaspoon

• Onions – 2 cups chopped (small dice)

• Celery – 1 cup chopped (small dice)

• Oil – 2 tablespoons for sautéing

• Tomato – 1 28 oz can San Marzano tomatoes (see below for more info)

Ingredients for our turkey Lasagna Bolognese

• Parmesan cheese grated

• Lasagna noodles

• Mozzarella cheese shredded

Classic Lasagna Ingredients

How to Prepare Classic turkey Lasagna Layers:

Start by Preparing Ragù for lasagna

1. Dice the onion, celery and shred the carrot.

2. Using a large skillet, melt the butter, then add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent and the carrots begin to caramelize (turn brown). Sprinkle the salt, pepper and paprika and blend well.

3. Add the meat and cook until it starts to brown.

4. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves. Stir well and cover. Keep heat on medium, stirring occasionally for about 30 minutes.

   

   Turkey Ragù for Our Turkey Lasagna Recipe.

5. Set aside to cool. Use this for layering into a turkey lasagna or saving in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Béchamel Sauce for Our healthy turkey lasagna

6. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan (1).
   Add 2 tablespoons of flour (2) and whisk together until the butter and flour mixture forms small bubbles with a faint tint of color, (3) about 2 minutes.
   While on medium heat, slowly add the milk while whisking to incorporate as you pour. Once all the milk is in, whisk in a figure eight motion (4) until creamy and well blended, no lumps. Whisk in the salt.

   

   Make the blond roux: Whisk the Milk Until mixture is smooth (no chunks).

7. Keeping the heat medium, bring the sauce to a simmer with small bubbles breaking the surface and wisps of steam. Whisk the simmering sauce for an additional 2 minutes. Too much heat or not enough stirring could make the sauce scorch on the bottom. Keep stirring, then set aside when ready.

Creating turkey Lasagna Layers and Cooking Lasagna

8. Start by prepping all of your ingredients and making the sauces needed for the lasagna recipe. Then, place the dry noodles in a baking dish and cover with warm water to soften them. Drain well and assemble the layers as follows:
   Put Béchamel at the bottom (1)
   Pour Ragù (2)
   Add shredded mozzarella (3)
   Lay lasagna noodles (4)
   

   

   Create At Least 4 Layers for Your Classic turkey Lasagna Recipe.

   Repeat the steps to build build at lest 4 luscious, healthy turkey lasagna layers.

   
   

9. While cooking turkey lasagna bolognese, cover it with foil and bake in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes. Tip: Rotate half way through to make sure your classic turkey lasagna cooks evenly since every oven has hot spots.

10. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the cheese is bubbly and starts to brown.

11. Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 – 15 minutes to solidify a bit.

Common Questions About How to Make A healthy turkey lasagna Recipe

Can I use store bought shredded cheese for my turkey lasagna recipe? You can, but most grocery store pre-shredded cheese has an anti-clumping agent mixed in (read the ingredient labels). This agent is not bad, but it prevents the cheese from melting as creamy as it could. Shred mozzarella and parmesan cheese by hand if possible.

What can I do to turn this into a quick and easy classic lasagna bolognese recipe? Make your items ahead of time. It is so much easier to make the turkey lasagna sauces ahead of time and refrigerate until you are ready to assemble. However, I would recommend assembling the final lasagna just before baking for best results. I have made up multiple turkey lasagnas and frozen for future use, and it seems to come out great.

How do I store my healthy turkey lasagna when ready? Keep your leftover turkey lasagna covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Or, wrap tightly in foil or transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through. If it was frozen, leave the foil on while baking and remove just at the end so the cheese can get brown and bubbly.

Comparing healthy turkey lasagna vs spinach veggie lasagna recipe. Both lasagna recipes use the same layering process of cheese, lasagna noodles and béchamel sauce. The a different type of lasagna uses a different filling from meat sauce in the layer. For example, a spinach veggie lasagna recipe uses spinach and no turkey ragù.

Don’t I have to pre-cook classic lasagna noodles before I make my turkey lasagna? As long as you let your turkey lasagna sit and do not serve immediately after it comes out of the oven you don’t need to pre-cook the traditional lasagna noodles. In our classic turkey lasagna recipe the traditional lasagna noodles go right into the baking dish and the sauces provide the liquid to cook them!

What lasagna noodles do I use? Pretty much any kind except for the no-boil. Absolutely do NOT use no-boil noodles; they don’t have enough structure to hold the weight of a four layer turkey lasagna recipe !

What tomato do I use for a truly healthy turkey lasagna sauce? In truth, the original healthy turkey lasagna recipe uses San Marzano tomatoes. These tomatoes have a sweeter flavor and lower acidity, but you can easily substitute your favorite brand instead.

Can I use tomato paste to make this healthy turkey lasagna recipe? Tomato paste is great for when you’re short on time because it helps thicken the sauce. If you’ll be simmering the marinara sauce low and slow, leave it out altogether.