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Janette's Healthy TV Dinners

This recipe creates a complete, healthy 'TV dinner' experience, featuring savory lasagna roll-ups filled with ricotta and Portobello ragu, alongside hearty meatless meatballs. It's complemented by simple butter-sprayed peas and sweet peach halves topped with granola and spices, offering a balanced and satisfying meal.
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Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: lunch/dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 4211.6
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main
  • Janette's Lasagna Roll-Ups recipe follows
  • Janette's Meatless Meatballs recipe follows
  • 1 10-ounce box frozen peas
  • Butter-flavor cooking spray for seasoning peas
  • 8 canned peach halves drained
  • 1/4 cup lowfat granola
  • Ground cloves for sprinkling over peaches
  • Ground cinnamon for sprinkling over peaches
  • 8 whole wheat lasagna noodles or regular
  • 2 cups fat-free pasta sauce
  • 1 cup lowfat ricotta
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan plus 5 teaspoons
  • 1 cup Portobello Ragu recipe follows
  • 1 10-ounce box chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
  • Olive oil flavored cooking spray
  • 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups Portobello Ragout recipe follows
  • 2 tablespoons ground toasted almonds
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt
  • Olive oil flavored cooking spray
  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 large onions chopped
  • 3 large cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 pounds portobello mushrooms chopped and stems removed (about 8 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons dry nonfat milk
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves

Equipment

  • 1 Large Pot For boiling lasagna noodles
  • 1 Large Skillet or Dutch Oven For preparing the Portobello Ragu
  • 2 Mixing Bowls For ricotta filling and meatball mixture
  • 4 Individual Oven-Safe Dishes or Baking Dish For assembling and baking the dinners
  • 1 Chef's Knife and Cutting Board For chopping vegetables

Method
 

  1. Prepare the Portobello Ragu: Heat olive oil in a large skillet, sauté chopped onions until softened, then add garlic and chopped portobello mushrooms, cooking until mushrooms release their liquid and brown.
  2. Finish the Ragu: Stir in kosher salt, Parmesan, dry nonfat milk, and chopped parsley to the cooked mushrooms, simmering briefly to meld flavors; set aside.
  3. Prepare Lasagna Components: Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions until al dente; drain and rinse. Defrost and thoroughly drain chopped spinach, squeezing out all excess water.
  4. Assemble Lasagna Filling: In a mixing bowl, combine lowfat ricotta, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, 1 tablespoon Parmesan, the drained spinach, and 1 cup of the prepared Portobello Ragu.
  5. Form Lasagna Roll-Ups: Spread an even layer of the ricotta-ragu mixture onto each cooked lasagna noodle, then carefully roll each noodle. Place roll-ups seam-side down in individual oven-safe dishes or a baking dish, topping with fat-free pasta sauce and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
  6. Prepare Meatless Meatball Mixture: In another mixing bowl, combine whole wheat bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon Parmesan, 1 1/2 cups of the Portobello Ragu, ground toasted almonds, egg white, and garlic salt.
  7. Form and Cook Meatballs: Shape the mixture into small meatballs. Spray a nonstick baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray, arrange meatballs, and bake or pan-fry until lightly browned and heated through.
  8. Prepare Side Dishes: Cook frozen peas according to package directions, then season with butter-flavor cooking spray. Drain canned peach halves and top with lowfat granola, a sprinkle of ground cloves, and cinnamon.
  9. Assemble and Bake Dinners: Arrange the prepared lasagna roll-ups, meatless meatballs, seasoned peas, and granola peaches into individual oven-safe dishes. Bake or reheat until the lasagna and meatballs are hot and bubbly.
  10. Serve: Carefully remove the healthy TV dinners from the oven and serve warm.

Notes

For the Portobello Ragu, ensure onions and mushrooms are deeply caramelized to build a rich umami base before adding other ingredients. When preparing the lasagna roll-up filling, thoroughly squeeze all excess moisture from the defrosted spinach to prevent a watery consistency. For the meatless meatballs, mix gently to avoid overworking the mixture, which can lead to a tough texture; they should remain tender. The 'TV dinner' concept lends itself well to meal prepping: assemble the individual portions, then cool and refrigerate or freeze for later, reheating gently until warmed through. Adjust seasoning for salt, pepper, and cayenne to personal preference in both the ricotta mixture and the meatball base for optimal flavor.