Diabetes-Friendly Recipes That Everyone Will Love

As any cook’ll tell ya, cooking is about a whole lot more than food. It’s an experience; it’s a celebration of friends and family. It’s about showing and sharing love. That’s why my boys, Bobby, Jamie, and I created diabetes-friendly versions of some of our favorite recipes.

Since many of you with diabetes have been asking, we’re gonna show you that eating well can still happen— with delicious diabetes-friendly meals that are sure to bring folks to the table.

I’m gonna get you started with Lady and Sons Lasagna. Y'all this recipe has been in my restaurant for years, and I have to admit that it's one of my favorites. The thing I love most about lasagna is that there's no real right or wrong way to do it. Folks have lasagna recipes passed down in their families for generations because it's a dish that you can really make your own. When we were choosin' recipes to lighten up, I just knew I had to start with this one.

Enjoy!

Y’all can also get e-mails with some of my favorite recipes made diabetes-friendly. Sign up now.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 (10-ounce) package cremini or white mushrooms, finely chopped
1 medium onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added petite diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 bay leaves (optional)
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning
1/2 teaspoon Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon Paula Deen’s Seasoned Salt
9 whole-wheat or reduced-carbohydrate lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups no-salt-added low-fat cottage cheese
1 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese (preferably Swiss or Comte)
1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), cut into small bits

Per serving: 260 calories, 9 g fat (5 saturated, 0 g trans), 55 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 23 g protein.

Lady and Sons Lasagna

Download PDF

Makes:
12 Servings
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
1 hour 50 minutes
Difficulty:
Easy

Directions:

To make the sauce, spray a Dutch oven with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until the meat browns, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until any pan juices evaporate and the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, parsley, herb seasoning, House Seasoning, and Seasoned Salt; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended and the sauce thickens slightly, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves, if using. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

Meanwhile, cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse the noodles and lay them flat on wax paper. Cover the noodles with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Combine the cottage cheese, ricotta, parmesan cheese, egg, and egg white in a medium bowl until blended. Toss together the mozzarella, Gruyere, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl.

Spread one-fourth of the sauce over the bottom of the baking pan. Top with 3 of the lasagna noodles. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture, one-third of the mozzarella mixture, half of the cream cheese, and one-fourth of the sauce over the noodles. Repeat the layering once with 3 more noodles, the remaining cottage cheese mixture, the remaining cream cheese, one-third of the mozzarella mixture and one-fourth more of the sauce. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, the remaining sauce and the remaining mozzarella mixture.

Cover loosely with a tent of foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese melts and the lasagna is heated through and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Test Kitchen Tip: To prevent the lasagna from sticking to the foil, spray the foil with nonstick spray before using it to cover the dish.

Healthy Cooking Tips from Bobby and Jamie Deen

Choosing extra-lean ground beef along with a whole-grain lasagna noodle, helps to reduce both fat and carbs. Also, whole-grain options generally offer higher protein and fiber.

Materials reviewed by

Diabetes Care and Education

A good balance of the right foods, along with regular exercise and your prescribed medications, can help you feel better and stay healthier. As with any meal, remember to pay attention to portion size and enjoy every dish as part of your overall meal plan. You may need more or less carbohydrates each day depending on how you manage your diabetes. Work with your health care team to determine a meal plan that works for you.

Indications and Usage

Victoza^® is an injectable prescription medicine that may improve blood sugar (glucose) in adults with type 2 diabetes when used along with diet and exercise.

Victoza^® is not recommended as the first medication to treat diabetes. Victoza^® is not insulin and has not been studied in combination with insulin. Victoza^® is not for people with type 1 diabetes or people with diabetic ketoacidosis. It is not known if Victoza^® is safe and effective in children. Victoza^® is not recommended for use in children.

Important Safety Information

In animal studies, Victoza^® caused thyroid tumors—including thyroid cancer—in some rats and mice. It is not known whether Victoza^® causes thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) in people which may be fatal if not detected and treated early. Do not use Victoza^® if you or any of your family members have a history of MTC or if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). While taking Victoza^®, tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer.

Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis) may be severe and lead to death. Before taking Victoza^®, tell your doctor if you have had pancreatitis, gallstones, a history of alcoholism, or high blood triglyceride levels since these medical conditions make you more likely to get pancreatitis.

Stop taking Victoza^® and call your doctor right away if you have pain in your stomach area that is severe and will not go away, occurs with or without vomiting, or is felt going from your stomach area through to your back. These may be symptoms of pancreatitis.

Before using Victoza^®, tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, especially sulfonylurea medicines or insulin, as taking them with Victoza^® may affect how each medicine works.

Also tell your doctor if you are allergic to any of the ingredients in Victoza^®; have severe stomach problems such as slowed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems with digesting food; have or have had kidney or liver problems; have any other medical conditions; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is unknown if Victoza^® will harm your unborn baby or if Victoza^® passes into your breast milk.

Your risk for getting hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is higher if you take Victoza^® with another medicine that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea. The dose of your sulfonylurea medicine may need to be lowered while taking Victoza^®.

Victoza^® may cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea leading to dehydration, which may cause kidney failure. This can happen in people who have never had kidney problems before. Drinking plenty of fluids may reduce your chance of dehydration.

The most common side effects with Victoza^® include headache, nausea, and diarrhea. Nausea is most common when first starting Victoza^®, but decreases over time in most people. Immune system related reactions, including hives, were more common in people treated with Victoza^® compared to people treated with other diabetes drugs in medical studies.

Please click here for Prescribing Information and Medication Guide.

Novo Nordisk provides patient assistance for those who qualify.
Please call 1-866-310-7549 to learn more about Novo Nordisk assistance programs.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch ,
or call 1-800-FDA-1088.