If you are searching for some delicious, no-meat meals, well, on the chopping block of all meatless dishes, we’ve just found the right cut of great taste that you’ve been looking for! Farm-fresh zucchini and spinach come to life layered with lasagna noodles that are topped with a dairy-fresh chive-and-onion-cream-cheese and ricotta mixture and a generous slab of melted mozzarella! Meat-free doesn’t mean taste-free with Creamy Cheese Casserole. It’s hard to beat and… it’s without the meat!
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) container whipped chive and onion cream cheese, softened
- 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more, whole leaves, to taste, for garnish
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced
- 1 (10-ounce) package fresh spinach
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 6 no-boil lasagna noodles
- 1 (7-ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 9-inch square baking dish and lightly grease an 11×11-inch piece of aluminum foil.
Step 3 –In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese, the ricotta cheese, 1/3 cup of the basil, and the salt and stir to combine.
Step 4 –In a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil.
Step 5 –Add the zucchini slices to the hot olive oil and sauté, stirring frequently, until they are lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 6 –Add the spinach to the zucchini slices and gently toss to combine. Cook until the spinach has wilted.
Step 7 –Add the garlic to the zucchini mixture and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.
Step 8 –Add 1/3 of the zucchini mixture to the bottom of the prepared baking dish and top with 2 of the lasagna noodles, then with 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture. Repeat the layers twice.
Step 9 –Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the casserole.
Step 10 –Secure the prepared aluminum foil over the baking dish and bake the casserole until it is bubbly and the noodles are tender, about 25-30 minutes.
Step 11 –Discard the aluminum foil and bake the casserole until it is golden, about 5-10 minutes.
Step 12 –Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let the casserole stand, about 10 minutes.
Step 13 –Serve the casserole, garnished with the extra basil leaves.
