Low-Fructose & Gluten-Free Chicken Veggie Lasagna
This gluten-free lasagna is packed with flavor even though it’s low-fructose and low-fructan! There’s an entire bunch of kale hiding in there, plus a handful of carrots (both of which are safe for fructose intolerance). The cottage cheese packs an extra protein punch.
Use oven-ready gluten-free lasagna noodles (I like the ones from Barilla). Mix your low-FODMAP marinara with equal parts cream if you don’t tolerate tomatoes in large portions. Season the ground chicken with Italian herbs, crushed red pepper flakes, and fennel seeds to avoid the fructans common in premade Italian sausages. Depending on the size of your dish, use about 4 noodles per layer. Please tag me on Instagram @fightthefructose if you try this recipe. Enjoy!
Servings: 8
Prep Time
40 minutes
Cook Time
60 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 40 minutes
Ingredients (My Favorite Brands)
4 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil, divided
3 large carrots, chopped in roughly bite-sized pieces (about 1 cup)
1 (10-ounce) bunch kale, tough stalks removed, leaves roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
16 oz low-fat cottage cheese
1 package oven-ready gluten-free lasagna noodles (at least 12 noodles)
1 cup low-FODMAP marinara
1 cup cream or half and half (see note)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 pound ground chicken (or pork or turkey or beef)
2 tablespoons Italian herbs
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Optional but delicious: 1 teaspoon Gourmend garlic chive powder
Parmesan cheese to serve
Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Chop the carrots and kale. Sauté the carrots for 5-6 minutes, add the kale, and cook for another 5-6 minutes until everything is starting to brown. Add another drizzle of olive oil or a few tablespoons of water if needed. Remove the vegetables to a bowl.
In the same pan, heat the remaining olive oil and cook the ground chicken. Sprinkle with the Italian herbs, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes.
To a blender, add the cooked vegetables and half of the cottage cheese. Pulse until combined and mostly smooth. Transfer to a bowl and add remaining cottage cheese, salt, pepper, and additional seasoning to taste. You can add the chicken into this mixture or distribute it in each layer separately.
Combine the marinara and cream in a bowl. Stir.
Now, it’s time to assemble the lasagna! Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease a medium casserole dish and spread 1/2 cup of the marinara/cream mixture on the bottom. Lay out a layer of oven-ready lasagna noodles (I used 4 per layer). Spread 1/2 of the cheese and veggie mixture across the noodles, then add 1/2 the ground chicken. Sprinkle with about 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup marinara/cream. Repeat these steps for another layer.
Place the top layer of noodles. Spread the remaining marinara/cream ensuring noodles are evenly covered and then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil (spray the underside with nonstick spray if it isn’t nonstick foil) and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and press the top noodles down into the sauce if needed (they tend to bubble up). Continue to bake until golden brown on top, about 10-15 minutes. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Top with fresh parmesan and chopped basil to serve.
Notes
This recipe was modified from Cookie and Kate to be low-fructose. Try the original if you tolerate gluten and fructose!
If you tolerate tomatoes well, you can just use 2 cups of marinara and eliminate the cream.
Other Modifications
You can easily add in other vegetables with the carrots and kale! Spinach also works well.
Make this recipe vegetarian by omitting the meat.
