Seafood Lasagna

🧂 Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp salted butter ($0.12)
• 1 medium yellow onion (1½ cup, 180g, diced, $1.06)
• 1 rib celery (½ cup, 60g, diced, $0.21)
• 2 garlic cloves (1 Tbsp, minced, $0.13)
• 12 oz. shrimp (chopped, (small size, 60-80 per lb, tail-off, peeled & deveined) $5.00*)
• 8 oz. imitation crab (chopped, $1.81**)
• ¼ cup frozen spinach (35g, thawed and squeezed, $0.12)
• 1 tsp lemon juice ($0.02)
• ¼ tsp Cajun seasoning ($0.02)
• ¼ cup salted butter (57g, $0.47)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g, $0.04)
• 3 cups whole milk (24 fl oz., $0.75)
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese (50g, finely grated, $1.16)
• ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning ($0.03)
• 12 lasagna noodles (uncooked, $1.23)
• 1 cup cottage cheese (8 oz., 225g, $0.98)
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley (finely chopped, $0.17)
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese (8 oz., 226g, shredded, $1.97)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1

   Gather and prep all ingredients and set the oven to 375°F.

2. 2

   Cook the lasagna noodles in salted water until just tender. Drain and lay flat on parchment paper lightly drizzled with oil to prevent sticking.

3. 3

   In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbsp butter over medium heat. Sauté onion, celery, and garlic for 5-6 minutes, until softened. Stir in shrimp, imitation crab, spinach, lemon juice, and Cajun seasoning. Cook just until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Remove from heat.

4. 4

   In a small bowl, stir together cottage cheese and parsley. Set aside.

5. 5

   In a medium saucepan, melt ¼ cup butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute.

6. 6

   Slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until thickened, about 5-6 minutes.

7. 7

   Stir in Parmesan and Old Bay seasoning. The sauce should be silky and pourable.***

8. 8

   Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Spread a thin layer of white sauce on the bottom. Layer 3 noodles slightly overlapping, half of the seafood filling, dollops of cottage cheese mixture, ⅓ of the white sauce, and a sprinkle of mozzarella. Repeat the layers once more. Finish with the last 3 noodles, the remaining sauce, and the rest of the mozzarella.

9. 9

   Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes. Broil on high for 3-5 minutes, until the cheese is golden.

10. 10

    Let the seafood lasagna rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Garnish with any leftover fresh parsley and enjoy.