Everything Lasagna

The first-place winner of the FARE-Off Recipe Contest, Louise Tippins, shares the inspiration for her EVERYTHING Lasagna:

Believe it or not, I normally make this lasagna for 250 kids every summer (and so must adjust the quantities)! My son is allergic to six of the top nine allergens.

In the summer of 2008, when I realized that there was no summer camp in existence that could create a safe and fun summer camp experience for him, I decided to start one myself. Now, more than ten years later, I have served this lasagna to hundreds of kids, and they LOVE it!

The recipe has undergone many changes through the years, but this is the one that I have settled on. I call this “Everything Lasagna”—not because there are a lot of tasty ingredients, but because being able to eat this meal freely, without worry or ingredient-checking, and to do so in an environment where everyone is eating the same thing means EVERYTHING to someone with food allergies. Many of the kids at my camp have never eaten a meal out. They’ve never gone through a buffet line. They have special challenges eating at school, parties, and other events.

Serves 8 - 10 | Total Time: More Than 60 Mins

Ingredients

For the tomato sauce:

1 (28-ounce) can plus 1 (14.5-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
½ cup chopped fresh basil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
1 teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper

For the meat layer:

3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup diced yellow onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 (12-ounce) packages Applegate Organics Sweet Italian Chicken Dinner Sausage, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves

For the cauliflower layer:

1 pound cauliflower, riced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

For the veggie layer:

1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
2 (10-ounce) packages gluten-free brown rice lasagna noodles
⅓ cup chopped fresh spinach leaves
¼ cup shredded dairy-free mozzarella

Instructions

To make the tomato sauce, combine all sauce ingredients in a heavy pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To make the meat layer, heat the olive oil in a skillet over moderate heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add chopped sausage and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through (the sausage is already fully cooked). Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
To make the cauliflower layer, in a bowl, stir together the cauliflower and parsley until well combined. Set aside.
To make the veggie layer, in a bowl, stir together the mushrooms, zucchini, and basil. Set aside.
To assemble the lasagna, preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly coat the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2–inch pan with olive oil. Spoon ½ cup tomato sauce over the bottom of the pan. Lay 4 uncooked lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Then add 1/3 cup meat layer, 1/2 cup cauliflower layer, and 1/2 cup veggie layer. Top with 4 more noodles. Repeat the layering 2 more times and top with final 4 noodles. Finish by adding any remaining sauce and other layer ingredients, as desired. Sprinkle with spinach and dairy-free mozzarella shreds and cover with foil.
Bake lasagna for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake until lasagna is tender, bubbling and lightly browned on top, about 10 minutes more. Remove from the oven. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into pieces and serving.