I laugh when I think about the relationship between love and food with my family. They are always intertwined!
Especially with my teen boys, I can always feel their love when I pull a yummy dinner out of the oven. Arms wrap around me, telling me how much they love me. I know FOOD is their love-language, at least with me.
Good Food = Love.
The heritage we’ve had with good food, and the stories that go with many of the meals served in our home, includes an appreciation translating into nurture and love.
The “fresh aroma” is always enough for me to get some good Mommy Hugs.
Do you get Mommy Hugs with food, or feel appreciation from your family when you cook a healthy meal?
Today I’m sharing a delicious meal I made over winter break when my kids were all home. It was fast, easy, and I used Dave’s Gourmet Butternut Pasta Sauce.
Recipe: Butternut Squash Lasagna {ReluctantEntertainer.com}
Summary: Make ahead and refrigerate the cooked lasagna for up to 3 days. Chicken is optional.
Ingredients
- 1 15-oz. container ricotta cheese
- 8 oz. mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 2 cups pulled chicken, chopped (I used Rotisserie chicken)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 cups spinach, washed and thick stems discarded (optional to chop)
- 25 oz. frozen squash puree or Dave’s Gourmet Butternut Pasta Sauce
- 9 no-boil lasagna noodles
Instructions
- Heat oven to 425. Spray a 9×13 pan.
- In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, mozzarella, nutmeg, 2 eggs, chicken, and 1/4 cup Parmesan; salt and pepper.
- Add the spinach to the cheese mixture.
- Spread 1 cup squash on the bottom of a sprayed 9×13 dish. Top with 3 noodles, 1/3 of cheese mixture, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Repeat this process x3 in lasagna-fashion.
- Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese, cover tightly with oiled (sprayed) piece of foil; bake for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and bake until the noodles are cooked and lasagna is bubbly, about 15-20 more minutes.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 6
Hi, I'm Sandy. Five years ago I stocked up on beautiful glasses from the Dollar Store. As I started writing about dinner parties, I realized that this “icon” portrays a great message. It says that dinner parties are attainable, they are affordable, and that they can be beautiful even when on a budget. 
