Eggplant Turkey Lasagna
Although I’m the number one advocate for eating whole grains, I have been feeling like I’ve been in a bit of a carb-coma all week.
Massive amounts of turkey at my parents house warranted massive consumption of sandwiches for lunch (oh hey, Turkey Banh Mi), then massive dinners of turkey and rolls. Oh, the rolls!
While carbohydrates are amazing and provide the body with much-needed fuel for exercising, too many carbs (as in more than 40-60% of your diet) can leave you feeling a little sluggish.
So while I will never part with my beloved english muffin at breakfast, I decided to lighten things up at dinner this week.
This Eggplant Turkey Lasagna replaces traditional wheat noodles with grain-free, low-calorie and low-carb eggplant slices.
The ground turkey and low-fat cottage cheese pack a bunch of lean protein, and the organic tomato sauce gives you a burst of vitamins and antioxidants, like Vitamin C and lycopene.
Why cottage cheese, you may ask? I don’t like ricotta and cottage cheese gives the same creamy consistency.
Besides the health benefits, this meal is warm and tasty — just what you need to liven up these dreary winter days.
Here in LA, it’s been raining all week. Hot comfort food is just what I need after a long day of attending and teaching class, and this noodle-free meal really hits the spot.
- 2 Eggplants, peeled
- 1 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 C. Extra Lean Ground Turkey, cooked & seasoned
- 1 C. Low Fat Cottage Cheese
- ¼ C. Parmesan
- 2 C. Organic Pasta Sauce (I like 365 brand)
- 2 T. Garlic Powder
- 2 T. Oregano
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- 1 C. Part-Skim Mozzarella, shredded
- Heat oven to 400.
- Wash, peel and slice eggplants lengthwise. Brush each side of the slices with extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes, flipping half way through.
- Turn oven down to 350.
- Spread ¼ C. sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Place one layer of eggplant slices, followed by ½ C. cottage cheese, ½ C. turkey, 1 T. garlic power, 1 T. oregano, ½ of the remaining sauce and all of the parmesan.
- Repeat the last step, using the remainder of the ingredients, this time ending with a layer of mozzarella.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, till the top is golden and bubbling.
The eggplant holds up really well for leftovers. I took a serving of mine to school in my lunch box yesterday and it was fantastic. And yes, I have a lunch box. No, unfortunately it does not feature Frozen characters.
After making this, I stumbled upon a few other eggplant lasagna recipes and noticed that some people use an egg in the turkey/cheese filling. Apparently this helps it stick together a bit more — something I might try next time!
Some other meals warming me up this rainy week include:
Have a great week everyone!
*This post is linked to Real Food Wednesday and What I Ate Wednesday.
Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment says:
I have used eggplant instead of noodles before and I really like it. My favorite substitute ever is spaghetti squash.
Whitney English says:
Oh yes, you can’t go wrong with spaghetti squash! I actually have a spaghetti squash and eggplant lasagna on here too!
Ashley @ A Lady Goes West says:
This dish sounds excellent. And I agree, I’m still getting over my holiday indulgences, but am back into healthy eats and workouts as of Monday. Hope you have a great day!
Whitney English says:
Thanks girl! xo
Alyssa says:
That lasagna sounds fantastic! I haven’t really found a way that I like to eggplant yet, so this will be a great option. I have made zucchini lasagna before, but I have never substituted eggplant. Thanks for the inspiration!
Whitney English says:
It’s very similar to zucchini – melt in your mouth! Hope this helps bring you around to eggplant!
Deborah @ Confessions of a Mother Runner says:
I love a good eggplant lasagna! I would need to make the turkey version for the rest of my family.
Whitney English says:
Oh for sure, the turkey makes this dish :)
Hayley says:
This sounds so so yummy! I am going to try it with my family when I get home from college!
Whitney English says:
Hope they like it! Let me know how it goes xo
Julie says:
I was never a fan of lasagna till more recently and can’t wait to make this. *We had lasagna at the holiday work party and I picked through all the pasta for the good stuff!
Whitney English says:
Ohhh, then you’ll love this pasta-less version :) Let me know if you end up making it!
Bethany says:
This looks great!! Super creative and delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Whitney English says:
Thanks Bethany!
Jezz Dallas says:
So yumm!!!! Is it bad that I am now thinking bout that veggie lasagne in my freezer? I really need to hire a chef….being a foodie and trying to eat healthy ain’t easy…
http://jezzdallasmakeup.blogspot.com/
Whitney English says:
No it aint!
GiGi Eats says:
FRIGGIN love eggplant SO YUMMMM. I hadn’t eaten it for SO LONG but recently reintroduced it into my life. I ditched it because it was the food I ate the night before my stomach “explosion” – ha, so it scared me, but I wanted to RISK MY LIFE and try it again and what do you know, I am still here ;)
Whitney English says:
Nice! Way to face that eggplant head (or mouth) on!
Bethann Wagner says:
Oh sweet god, that looks amazing!
Whitney English says:
Thank you!