Green Bean Lasagna (Lean & Green)

Green beans are a family favorite! 

(My dear daughter typed this up for me...as co-author of my blog, she's a great help to me in a number of ways.  After all - SHE'S the reason I began a blog..

Deb: "Mom...you should start a recipe blog!"  

Me: "But I won't know what to do and I'll need lots of help"...

(And there you have the rest of that story!) 

She is a GREAT help to me!! 

This is a very tasty dish, even if you're not following the

Lean & Green 'program'. 

It's so cheesey and good.  I tried it with cut beans first, and prefer

using the french cut green beans 10 TIMES better than the cut. 

It makes an awesome lunch or a 'dressed up' side dish for your family meal. 

Do hope you'll have fun with it...the kids will love it too! 

 A note from my daughter, Deb:

Every time I see green beans, I will always think of Dad. I remember him telling us that when he was sick as a little kid and had to start eating, the only thing he would or could eat was beans right from the can! [Hence, his nickname, BEAN. lol.]  I remember our garden when we lived in Washington. Dad always asked me to weed around the green beans (and we ALWAYS had green beans growing in every garden). I would get SUCH an itchy rash from the leaves and HATED weeding them. I remember sitting on the back patio cleaning them and then you would cook them and they would be SO DELICIOUS!!! I can't believe I married a man who hates green beans, but I still eat them and think of Dad when I do.

Needless to say, this casserole would be a big hit for my kids, and bonus: It's Lean 'n' Green to boot!!!

GREEN BEAN LASAGNA

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups green beans, cooked (from frozen or can) and drained
(I prefer french cut over regular cut) 

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/4 cup skim ricotta cheese
(I used lowfat cottage cheese) 

2 Tbsp marinara sauce (no sugar added)

3/4 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese

1 Tbsp low-fat grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place beans in bottom of lightly sprayed baking dish.  Mix basil & garlic with ricotta cheese and spread evenly over top of the beans.  Spread the marinara over the ricotta cheese mixture and cover with mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.  

Lean 'n' Green:   1 Lean, 3 Greens, 2.75 Condiment

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