Vegan Lasagna Recipe

By Emily Capriotti

Vegan Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 package (20 oz) cubed butternut squash, roasted until tender (about 4 cups)

1 can (15 oz) low sodium chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup Hellmann's Vegan Dressing and Spread

1/2 cup nutritional yeast seasoning

1 container (14 oz) firm tofu, weighted down with heavy bowl to drain 20 minutes, then crumbled

2 Tbsp of olive oil

2 (10 oz) packages baby Portobello mushrooms (diced)

1 small onion, chopped

1 box (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

4 cups jarred vegan pasta sauce

12 vegan and/or gluten free, no boil lasagna noodles

Cooking Method:

1. Heat oven to 400°. Mash squash and chickpeas in a large bowl. Stir in Hellmann's® Vegan Dressing and Sandwich Spread, nutritional yeast, then tofu. Season, if desired, with salt and pepper.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook mushrooms and onions for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in spinach and garlic; cook for 2 minutes then stir in pasta sauce, and remove from the heat.

3. Spread 1 cup sauce mixture in bottom of 13 x 9-inch baking dish then top with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles. Spread with 2 cups tofu mixture, and repeat layers 2 more times. Top off with the remaining 3 noodles, then add the remaining sauce.

4. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake an additional 15 minutes, until lasagna noodles are tender. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. of unsalted butter

4 slices of Sara Lee Artesano bread

4 slices of mozzarella cheese

20 slices of pepperoni

Ingredients for garlic butter:

3 Tbsp. of unsalted butter

¼ tsp of fresh, or dried parsley

¼ tsp of Italian seasoning

¼ tsp of garlic powder

⅛ tsp of salt

Cooking Method:

1. In a medium skillet set over medium to low heat, add the butter and melt, place two pieces of bread side-by-side.

2. To each slice of bread, add a slice of mozzarella, then 9 pepperoni pieces, and another slice of mozzarella, then place the remaining slices of bread on top.

3. Cook on each side for about 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

4. Meanwhile, make the garlic butter. In a small microwave safe bowl, add the butter and heat until the butter is melted, then stir in parsley, add Italian seasoning, and then the garlic powder and salt.

5. Using a pastry brush, brush on the melted butter on both sides of the grilled cheese. Cook on each side for 30 seconds, then remove and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and dip in marinara sauce as a side.