#2 on my list, Cook 15 new dishes (#6)

Rice Lasagna, what? That was the first thing that came to my mind when a friend told me that she found this recipe for me to try; And of course I can have it because it's GF. I wasn't really sure that it was going to hold together very well when I first heard about it but it turned out wonderful. Not to mention that it's cheaper to make than regular lasagna since I didn't have to pay for the noodles, which can run upwards of $6 a box.

So what occasion would warrant me making a lasagna, after all it's only lil' ol me. The occasion was Shannon's Birthday/going away tea that we held last Saturday. Even though they've moved to TX the theme was Italian because that's Shannon's favorite. Italian, as any Celiac knows, is a nightmare food to contend with. Sure they make GF noodles, but they don't make the same delicious Italian fare that I've long been acquainted with (living in Sicily spoiled me). However, it kept all week and made some pretty descent left overs. I dont regularly like the idea of left overs, but this kept really well.

So without much further ado I give you Rice Lasagna.

Rice Lasagna
Serves 8

Ingedients
3c. hot cooked long grain rice
2 large eggs
3/4c. grated parmesan cheese
2c. shredded mozzerella cheese
1c. low fat ricotta cheese
1lb. lean ground beef
1/4c. chopped parsley
1 jar (15.5 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 Tbsp chopped oregano

Directions

1. Cook rice according to directions on package. Generally it's 2 cups of water for every 1 cup of dry rice.

2. After rice is done combine rice, 1 egg and 1/3c. of parmesean cheese in a bowl.

3. In another bowl, combine 1 egg, the mozzerella and ricotta cheeses, 1/3c. of parmesean cheese, and parsley.

4. In a large skilet brown the beef, stirring and breaking into bits, drain, and add the sauce and oregano. It's probably a good idea to do this while the rice is cooking so as to save some time in the kitchen.

5. Evenly spread half the rice mixtre into an 11 1/2" x 7 1/2" x 2 1/2" baking dish.

6. Top wiht half the cheese mixture, followed by the meat mixture and repeat layers. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesean cheese.

7. Bake at 375 deg. for 20 minutes (that's a lot shorter than regular lasgana) or until hot; and serve with your choice of vegetable.

I dedcided while making it, to use as much rice as I could and so I made the final layer the rice one, which is OK too. Maybe next time I'll follow the direcitons to a "T", who knows. Either way it's delicious:) Enjoy!