Low Carb Spinach and Bacon Lasagna

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, crumbled, drained
1/4 C yellow onion (finely diced)
3 cloves fresh garlic (pressed or finely chopped)
1 1/2 C Bella Vita Tomato Basil Low Carb Pasta Sauce
2 packets Splenda
2 16 oz. bags chopped, frozen spinach, thawed and drained well
12 slices crispy, cooked bacon, crumbled
8 oz. cream cheese
15 oz. Ricotta cheese - 2 carb/serving (CHECK CARB COUNT)
2 large eggs
4 oz, fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 C shredded mozzarella cheese
1 C shredded Italian blend cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Be careful when choosing Ricotta cheese brand, some of them have 6+ carbs per 1/4 cup serving. Make sure you get a brand that has only 2 carbs per 1/4 cup serving.

You will notice that I cook and drain the ground meat before I add the garlic and onion. The reason I do this is because I think you lose a lot of the taste when you cook the veggies with the meat. I add them afterwards, then put a lid on them and steam them to soften. It takes more time to do it this way but is way better. If you are in a hurry, just add the veggies to the raw meat and cook, then drain the fat.

I also use cheap ground beef because I am on a fixed income and cannot afford the good stuff. I squeeze out extra fat when finished cooking. You can use any zero carb ground meats and/or combine them together, such as ground pork, sausage, lean ground beef, ground chicken, veal, lamb, etc.

You can add more or less garlic, onion, salt and pepper to taste. I like a lot of garlic, so you may also want to cut down on my suggestion as well.

This recipe uses Bella Vita Low Carb Sauce, which can be found several places online. If you cannot find it, the only store brand I have found that is even remotely lower carb is Hunt's Tomato and Basil Pasta Sauce, it has 5 net carbs per 1/2 cup serving but 4 grams are sugar, compared to Bella Vita's 4 net carbs per 1/2 cup serving and only 1 gram of sugar per serving.

Before beginning, empty 2 bags of frozen, chopped spinach into a large strainer and place in sink to thaw. When the spinach is thawed and soft, press out as much water as possible with a spatula or large spoon. Transfer the spinach onto a cheese cloth or several paper towels and squeeze out as much excess water as possible, otherwise it will make the spinach/cheese mixture runny. Set aside.

Bacon Preparation: (Bacon can be omitted if you prefer) Pan fry 12 slices of bacon until crispy or bake in oven on cookie sheet for 10-13 minutes at 400 degrees until crispy (this makes the best bacon) drain excess grease, let cool, then crumble and set aside.

Brown ground beef and drain all excess fat, then return to pan and add onions, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and cover pan, let the veggies steam by covering with lid and cooking on the lowest heat setting for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you are in a hurry, you can cook the veggies with the meat but I like it better when adding the veggies to the cooked meat and letting them steam to soften. When the veggies are soft, add pasta sauce and Splenda packets, thoroughly mix Splenda and let cook on low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.While sauce is cooking, prepare the cheese mixture.

Soften the cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl on medium for about 40 seconds. Stir the softened cream cheese until smooth, then blend in 2 eggs and stir or whisk until smooth. Add the 15 ounce container of ricotta cheese, 1 cup of Italian blend cheese, half of the shredded mozzarella cheese, half of the fresh grated Parmesan cheese, two-thirds of the crumbled bacon and all of the spinach and mix until everything is blended.

Butter (or use non-stick spray) a 9" X 13" glass casserole dish and spread 1/2 of the meat mixture on the bottom. Carefully shake the casserole dish from side to side to distribute the meat evenly. Spread all of the spinach cheese mixture on top of the meat and use the back of a spoon to evenly spread out the mixture. Spread the remainder of the meat mixture on top of the spinach cheese layer and use the back of a spoon to evenly spread out the meat sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 of crumbled bacon evenly over the lasagna, then sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly across the top and finish by sprinkling the remainder of the fresh grated Parmesan cheese over the lasagna.

Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees, until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned on top. Allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then cut into 12 equal servings and enjoy.

Serving Size: 12 Servings - bake in 13X9 inch casserole dish, cut into 12 equal pieces