Trying to come up with solutions for those favorite meals we used to enjoy prior to going gluten and milk free, was at first daunting.  Yet, with more available products to use as substitutes, the kitchen experiments are becoming fun again.  Last night I decided to take what I had on hand of zucchini, venison, home made tomato sauce, Daiya cheddar cheese, etc., to create a lasagne.  My hope was to create a similarity that would please my lasagne loving husband.  The bonus results in no stomach cramping and more.

Ingredients:

• 1 – 2 average zucchini – I had an large zucchini and a smaller one, which was sufficient for the casserole/lasagne I was making
• 4 cups of homemade spaghetti sauce (this allows me to safely prepare a meal with no milk or preservatives – yes, some store bought sauces have milk in them)
• 1 80z pkg of DAIYA Cheddar Cheese Shreds (the picture shows 2 bags, but I only needed one, which provided more than enough cheese flavor)
• 1 pound pkg of venison (I would also use bison or other naturally raised ground beef product.  Use what you enjoy)
• 1 medium onion, sliced & chopped
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. In pan, heat oil then add your ground venison and chopped onion until browned  
   

   Zucchini Daiya Cheese Lasagne
   Recipe by Laura D. Field
   Gluten & Milk Free Lifestyle

3. In saucepan, heat up your homemade spaghetti sauce (it does not have to be meatless, use whatever delights you)
   

   Zucchini Daiya Cheese Lasagne
   Recipe by Laura D. Field
   Gluten & Milk Free Lifestyle

4. While these items are heating up, thinly slice your zucchini.  I chose to slice the large zucchini lengthwise, then chose to slice the smaller one in circles.  If I have a mandolin slicer, I would easily have preferred the lengthwise cut.  Those pieces were the tastiest.  Don’t ask me why.
   

   Zucchini Daiya Cheese Lasagne
   Recipe by Laura D. Field
   Gluten & Milk Free Lifestyle

5. Once all items are sliced and heated, lightly cover the bottom of your baking dish with sauce
   

   Zucchini Daiya Cheese Lasagne
   Recipe by Laura D. Field
   Gluten & Milk Free Lifestyle

6. To make three layers, prepare how much you will use of each item for each layer (cutting each in thirds)
7. Layer 1/3 of the zucchini, as you would lasagne noodles, slightly overlapping each
   

   Zucchini Daiya Cheese Lasagne
   Recipe by Laura D. Field
   Gluten & Milk Free Lifestyle

8. Layer 1/3 of the meat over the zucchini
   

   Zucchini Daiya Cheese Lasagne
   Recipe by Laura D. Field
   Gluten & Milk Free Lifestyle

9. Layer 1/3 of the sauce over the meat
   

   Zucchini Daiya Cheese Lasagne
   Recipe by Laura D. Field
   Gluten & Milk Free Lifestyle

10. Layer 1/3 of the Daiya Cheddar cheese over the sauce
    

    Zucchini Daiya Cheese Lasagne
    Recipe by Laura D. Field
    Gluten & Milk Free Lifestyle

11. Repeat steps 7-10
12. Final layer I did slightly different, I layered the zucchini, using the round cuts around the edges, filling in the center with the remaining lengthwise pieces.
    

    Zucchini Daiya Cheese Lasagne
    Recipe by Laura D. Field
    Gluten & Milk Free Lifestyle

13. Layer the remaing meat over the zucchini (before you were putting the sauce on first)
14. Layer the remaining cheese over the meat
15. Cover the layers evenly with the remaining sauce.
16. Place into preheated over at 350  for 30 minutes.
17. Let stand to cool for 15 minutes before serving
    

    Zucchini Daiya Cheese Lasagne
    Recipe by Laura D. Field
    Gluten & Milk Free Lifestyle

Serve with a slice of gluten and milk free bread or roll and a small tossed green salad.

Enjoy!!  Today David and I had leftovers for dinner, for which we were both pleased at how well it tasted the second time around.

Laura

NOTE:  Daiya cheese has become a favorite in our home.  In addition to the shreds, they also have cream style cheese (which I have yet to find in my area), wedges and slices.  They also have a pizza line.  Their products are free of the top 8 allergens, which include dairy (casein, whey & lactose), soy, gluten, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts (except coconut).  And, from our experience, the taste and melting requirements for some of recipes, is just as good as the regular, from the farm milk cheese products.

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