BLACK BEAN LASAGNA ROLLS

OMG! This dish is so easy to make and it is extremely healthy for you as well. I usually double the recipe so that once I have finished baking the dish I freeze some of the lasagna rolls for later. As long as they are kept in an airtight container you can freeze them for up to 1-2 months. 

Ingredients

• 8 uncooked lasagna noodles (I use whole wheat for an even healthier version)
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 (15-ounce) carton part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained 
•  Chopped jalapenos - Add these if you like a spicier flavor otherwise just skip this step
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 2 cups drained canned no-salt-added (low sodium) black beans
• Olive Oil cooking spray
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) jar no-salt-added salsa
• Fresh cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350° and cook lasagna noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat (oils); be sure to drain well. If you are making a big batch of lasagna noodles then lay out the lasagna noodles onto a sheet of tinfoil that has been lightly sprayed with olive oil. Arrange the lasagna noodles side by side and make sure that none overlap. Combine the cheeses and stir in all the ingredients except for the beans, salsa and cilantro sprigs. Be sure to stir it really well. Spread cheese mixture over 1 side of each noodle. Spoon black beans evenly over cheese mixture. *This step is optional - spoon a little bit of the salsa on top of the beans if you want to add some extra flavor. Now you will roll up the noodles, jelly-roll fashion, beginning at narrow ends. Place lasagna rolls, seam sides down, in an 11- x 7-inch baking dish coated with olive oil cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated. To serve, spoon salsa evenly over rolls, and garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.

Here are some pictures of the ingredients that I used for this recipe and they can all be found at your local Super Target.

whole wheat lasagna pasta

low sodium black beans

Helpful healthy tips:

To save time you may want to mix the beans and salsa in with the cheese mixture and then spread the mixture onto the lasagna noodles. I have tried it and it really is delish! 

If you are trying new recipes it helps if you make a list of everything that you need and start looking at the grocery store ads and coupons to see if any of the ingredients are on sale that week. Sometimes I cook a dish because the items that I needed were on sale that week. So if that is the case then double up your recipes and freeze some for later.

Sometimes when I find a recipe that doesn't fall into the healthy category I look to see if I can modify it. If you can substitute some of the ingredients for healthier alternatives then you can incorporate it into your weekly meal planning and still maintain your healthier lifestyle.