Lasagna with Italian Sausage, Zucchini and Carrots (and Chocolate Chip Cookies for Dessert)

Credit: Catherine Roscoe Barr

The ultimate feast: Italian sausage lasagna with chewy chocolate chip cookies

In the mood for some decadent comfort food? Try this lasagna and chewy chocolate chip cookies combo

I love playing around with different lasagna recipes and this is one of my favourites to date. Lasagna is so comforting and delicious, especially with lots of veggies, and preparing it in the slow cooker makes it incredibly easy.

I worked at a summer camp in Waterton Lakes National Park during my first summer of university. I was called on to replace the chef’s assistant after she left, presumably because the chef was really mean but I didn’t find that out until after I’d accepted the job and set up my little home away from home – and darned if I didn’t stick it out for the rest of the summer!

Despite all of the meanness, I learned a thing or two in the kicthen. One great tip I learned is that lasagna noodles don’t need precooking so there’s no need to buy the no-boil noodles (which cost more) if you want to cut corners (which I always do).

I also love playing around with different chocolate chip cookie recipes and this one comes to you from my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook that my dear friend Darrell gave to me as a wedding gift (and who I was fortunate enough to work with at beautiful Beauvais Lake Provincial Park the summer following my cranky camp experience).

The recipe calls for 2 1/4 cups of flour but the last time I made them I didn’t have enough so I used 1 cup oatmeal and 1 1/4 cups flour and they turned out great. 

Lasagna with Spicy Italian Sausage, Zucchini and Carrots

Ingredients

• 500g spicy Italian sausage
• 1 jar pasta sauce 
• 1 tub cottage cheese
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 box lasagna noodles
• 1 1/2 cups cheese, grated

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook sausage.
3. Add pasta sauce, stirring well to combine.
4. In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, zucchini, carrots and garlic, stirring well to combine.
5. In a large casserole dish, layer half of sausage mixture on bottom.
6. Top with a layer of noodles, follwed by cheese and vegetable mixture, another layer of noodles, and remaining sausage mixture. 
7. Top with an even layer of cheese.
8. Cook for an hour, or until cheese is bubbling.
9. To make in slow cooker, assemble according to above instructions, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for about 4 hours.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 lrg egg
• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup walnuts, coarsley chopped
• 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. In large bowl, beat sugars, butter, vanilla and egg.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Add dry mixture to wet mixture, stirring well to combine.
5. Add nuts and chocolate chips, stirring well to combine.
6. Place 1-inch balls of dough on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centres will be soft).
8. Cool for 2 minutes and remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to further cool until you can no longer stand it and must eat them.