Lunch: Budget-Friendly Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

This version of Greek Lasagna is a great family meal that pairs well with a green salad topped with a little feta cheese and light Greek salad dressing.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon, Brown Rice

Health benefits of Budget-Friendly Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060). Brown rice is a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 medium onion, diced
20 ounces lean (93% fat free) ground turkey
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 15-ounce cans low-sodium tomato sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 pound brown rice or quinoa penne pasta (or whole wheat penne pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 cups skim milk
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 egg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9x13-inch baking sheet with cooking spray. Set aside.
Add cooking spray to a large nonstick sauté pan. Sauté onions for 4-5 minutes or until translucent. Add in ground turkey and sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until turkey is cooked through.
Add cinnamon, oregano, salt (optional), ground black pepper, and tomato sauce. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer for 5-7 minutes or until just starting to thicken.
Stir in parsley and set aside.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt. Drain and stir immediately into turkey mixture. Pour the pasta and turkey mixture into the baking sheet and press down so it is evenly spread in the pan.
Add the olive oil to a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook the flour for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to brown it. Stir constantly.
Slowly whisk in the skim milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Whisk in the nutmeg and parmesan cheese.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg and then slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture to temper the egg. Add the rest of the milk mixture to the egg and then pour over the top of the pasta, spreading to coat the entire thing.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly and top is golden brown.

Cost: $9.89 for entire recipe, just $0.82 per serving!

Side Suggestion: Green Salad with Feta cheese and lite Greek salad dressing