Happy New Year! (Lasagna)

It's the beginning of the new year, which means it's time for resolutions.  I for one have resolved to do more than one blog post per month.  It's just not fair to regular readers.  I had every intention of squeezing in a second December post but, alas, the craziness of the holiday season got the better of me.  So, I will save that post for another day.

While driving home from a family holiday celebration with my sister yesterday, I was overcome with a craving for lasagna.  Since my Celiac diagnosis, I've had one special friend prepare a gluten free version of her legendary lasagna, so I wanted to give it a try myself.  Believe it or not, lasagna is something I've never made before, g-free or otherwise, so I decided to take a shot at it while my motivation was strong.  After getting back in town, I dropped off my sister then headed right to the grocery store.  After getting home, I immediately put a pot of water on the stove in preparation for my noodles.  About an hour later, I took a lovely, bubbling, golden brown lasagna out of the oven.  I ate two servings, no sweat.  (I DID keep driving through lunch...)  You may find that without gluten, your lasagna noodles break into pieces after having been cooked, so handle them with as much care as possible.  If they break, just piece them together in the baking dish, it will still taste wonderful.  :)

Ingredients
1 (8 oz.) package gluten free lasagna noodles
1 (1 lb. 10 oz.) jar your favorite pasta sauce
1 lb. ground chuck
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
8-9 oz. bag of fresh spinach
15 oz part skim ricotta
1/2 cup sliced fresh basil
8 oz shredded mozzarella

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and begin by cooking the lasagna noodles according to package instructions.  (Probably 6-8 minutes)  Meanwhile, sautee mushrooms in a little butter over low-medium heat until golden brown, then add the spinach, continuing to cook until just wilted.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.  Next, add beef to pan, cooking over medium heat until browned, then add pasta sauce and cook until heated through.  When the noodles are cooked and drained, place one layer of noodles in the bottom of a 13 x 9 glass baking dish.  Next, layer on the mushrooms and spinach followed by half the sauce and meat mixture.  Then drop on the ricotta a spoonful at a time, covering the sauce layer evenly.  Then comes the second layer of noodles, the sliced basil, and the remainder of the sauce and meat mixture.  It's all topped off by the shredded mozzarella.  Place in the oven and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes.  If the cheese begins to brown too soon, cover the lasagna with aluminum foil.  Let cool 5-10 minutes prior to serving.  Serves 8-10.