Meatless Mondays is a great concept – it’s a movement to get people to be conscious of their meat consumption and potentially reduce their risk for preventable health issues like high cholesterol.

I wanted to create some kid-friendly and simple recipes that will make Meatless Monday easy and stress-free! I hope you like them!

Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups

Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.

These are not only the perfect, single serving size, kids will enjoy making them with you! Besides, who doesn’t like to play with their food?  You can assemble this on Sunday, put it in the fridge, and pull it out Monday to cook. Easy Peasy!

Ingredients

  • One 15 oz. container Ricotta Cheese, part skim (You can substitute cottage cheese)
  • One cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided – ½ cup for cheese mixture; ½ cup to sprinkle on top of baked dish
  • One egg
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ cup parmesan cheese (I used fresh grated, but you can use packaged to save time!)
  • 1 container of frozen, chopped spinach – thawed and squeezed of liquid.
  • One box of lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (Note: to keep them from sticking after cooking, toss the cooked noodles with a light drizzle of olive oil).
  • 2 cups marinara sauce – I used prepackaged sauce to make it easy.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook noodles according to the package. Drain and toss with light drizzle of olive oil.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, ½ cup mozzarella, parmesan, egg, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the drained, chopped spinach and mix well.

Pour about ½ cup of marinara into the bottom of a baking dish.

On a clean, flat work surface, lay out the noodles. Spread about ¼ cup of cheese mixture onto a noodle, spreading to the edges. You do not want it too thick. Starting at one end, roll the noodle up and place on it’s end in the baking dish. Repeat until you have used all the noodles.

Pour remaining marinara sauce over the top of the lasagna rolls. Cover with tin foil and bake for approximately 40 minutes. Just before it is done, sprinkle remaining mozzarella over top and cook until bubbly.

 

Stuffed Peppers

Meatless Monday Stuffed Peppers from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
Meatless Monday Stuffed Peppers from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.

My mom used to make these filled with rice and ground beef. I decided to replace the beef with Great Northern Beans – a great way to still get your protein and a very flavorful meal!

Ingredients

  • 4 peppers (I used a combination of yellow, red and green peppers)
  • 1 15 oz. can Bush’s Great Northern Beans, Reduced Sodium
  • 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (I like to use the basil oregano flavored)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup onions, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon cumin (feel free to add more to taste)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 cups brown or white rice (I used Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice to make it easier)
  • 1 can tomato sauce
  • Shredded cheddar cheese – as much or as little as you like.

Preparation

Wash and then cut the tops off the peppers. Deseed the peppers. Take the tops of the peppers and chop them up (without the stem).

Pour the can of tomato sauce into the bottom of the baking dish.

In a large pan, sauté the onions, chopped pepper tops and garlic. Add the cumin, tomatoes, salt and pepper, beans, and rice – mix thoroughly. Feel free to add more or as little spices as you want!

Stuff the peppers with the rice mixture. Place the stuffed peppers upright in the baking dish. Place in oven for approximately 40 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the peppers in the last 5 minutes of cooking.

Serve warm!

 

Upgraded Grilled Cheese

UpGraded Grilled Cheese from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
UpGraded Grilled Cheese from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.

This is like having mozzarella sticks in sandwich form!

Ingredients

  • 4 slices crusty bread
  • 4 thick slices mozzarella
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup half & half or milk
  • salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • butter
  • ½ teaspoon minced garlic
  • Marinara sauce for dipping

Preparation

Make a sandwich with two slices of bread with two large slices of mozzarella; Repeat with second sandwich.

In a bowl, beat the egg, milk/cream, & salt.

In a fry pan, heat olive oil and garlic over medium high heat. Add butter.

Dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture and then place in fry pan. Cook until golden brown on one side (approx. 2 mins.), then flip.

Serve with warm marinara as dipping sauce.

 

Avocado Tacos

Avocado Tacos from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.
Avocado Tacos from SimpleSolutionsDiva.com.

This is so easy and very tasty! Top these tacos with your favorite taco toppings: sour cream, lettuce, etc.

Ingredients

  • Corn tortillas
  • 2 Avocados, mashed
  • Bean, Corn and Red Pepper Salsa (Click here for recipe)
  • Favorite taco toppings

Preparation

Heat corn tortillas in a fry pan. Add a couple of teaspoons of the mashed avocado, the bean salsa. Add favorite toppings! Enjoy – Yum!

 

If you would like to see more Meatless Monday recipes, visit my Pinterest Board or visit MeatlessMonday.com. Thank you to WTLV-TV’s First Coast Living for inviting me on to share these recipes!

 

 

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