With a few easy to find ingredients, it comes out amazing every time. Oh, and I also sneak in a bunch of veggies – and not that much meat – so it’s somewhat healthy the kids get some extra vitamins. Let’s dive in!

Your shopping list will include: 

• Barilla (or your favorite brand) gluten free lasagna
• Mezzetta (or your favorite brand) pasta sauce. I love the tomato basil one from Mezzetta
• Ricotta cheese
• Mozzarella cheese (shredded)
• Parmesan cheese (shredded)
• Veggies of choice – I prefer zucchini (both yellow and green), eggplant, red or orange peppers, mushrooms, carrots – whatever strikes your fancy. Chopped in small squares.
• Meat of choice – I like using ground turkey. It’s leaner than beef and I think gives it a lighter flavor. If you prefer ground beef or sausage, that’s fine too. *Tip* I only use about 1/4 – 1/2 lb of meat for a family of 4. I like the nice balance of flavors, heavy on the veggies, and don’t care for the meat to overpower the dish, but you do whatever works for your family.
• Instant Pot

Chop Your Veggies

Chop your chosen veggies. I’m cooking for 4 people (including 2 teenage boys) and I use about half of each vegetable. So a half eggplant, half zucchini, half yellow zucchini squash, a handful of carrots and a handful of mushrooms. I’ve also used red, yellow or orange peppers. I don’t care for green peppers as they seem to be a bit more tart and acidic than the yellow, orange and red, but use whatever you like. I chop them pretty finely in small cubes. You can see about how small I chop them in the yellow zucchini photo below. I chop until I have about a soup bowl full of veggies.

Start Your Sauce

In a large saucepan, heat a bit of olive oil on medium heat. Once warm, add in your meat of choice and the chopped veggies. I just sauté all together for about 5 or so minutes.

Then add your sauce and chicken broth. I use about half or 3/4 a jar of pasta sauce and maybe a cup or so of chicken broth. *Tip* – it’s ok if the sauce seems runny. The lasagna pasta soaks it up every time. Lots of sauce and not too thick is a winning combo.

I don’t add any salt to the sauce. I figure the pasta sauce and chicken broth probably already have plenty. I do usually add some of Kirkland’s No Salt Seasoning, which is great and works with almost anything you cook. Simmer sauce on medium low while you prep lasagna noodles.

Get Your Lasagna Pasta Ready

While your sauce is simmering, stage your gluten free lasagna pasta. I usually count out 12 or 14 lasagna pasta pieces. I use a butter knife to spread ricotta on each piece and lay them out so they are easy to grab. Once you have these ready to go, you can remove your sauce from the stove and place it next to the Instant pot. *Tip* – It doesn’t matter if the veggies don’t seem totally done yet. The pressure cooking in the Instant Pot will finish them off.

*Tip* – Butter or otherwise grease the Instant Pot. This will help prevent the lasagna from sticking to the sides and bottom as much. Also, add a bit of sauce in the bottom of the Instant Pot before adding the lasagna pasta.

Layer the Lasagna

After you put a bit of sauce in the bottom of the Instant Pot, let the layering begin. Take two gluten free lasagna pasta pieces with ricotta and place them side by side (overlapping slightly is fine) in the Instant Pot. Add a spoonful of sauce. Now add two more lasagna pasta pieces, GOING THE OTHER DIRECTION – so criss cross, like the first set of two going North/South and the next set of two going East/West.

Add another spoonful of sauce on this 2nd layer, and also add some shredded mozzarella and parmesan to this layer. I repeat this criss cross, with sauce on every layer, but only adding cheese on every other layer.

Repeat this until you you have used all of your 12 or 14 lasagna pieces. Make sure to reserve some sauce for the very top. It may seem like you have too much sauce left, but trust me, you don’t. Pour the remaining sauce over the stacked layers and add some more of both cheeses on the top. You can also add some fresh ground pepper if you like.

Set your Instant Pot for Manual and make sure the venting is turned off – so that it is on pressure cook. Select time for 22 minutes. Relax and enjoy your favorite beverage while the lasagna cooks. You’ve earned it.

Gluten Free Lasagna is Served!

Make sure to listen for the timer on the Instant Pot. Even with buttering the Instant Pot, and placing some sauce in the bottom of the pan, the lasagna will get a bit done on the bottom and tend to stick. Because the “Warm” function stays on even after the timer and cooking ends, this can cause the bottom to get extra done. So you want to release the steam and make sure the Instant Pot is off as soon as the 22 minutes is up.

Let the lasagna sit for 5 – 10 minutes with the lid on lightly. It will be very hot when you first open it and the extra few minutes lets the pasta absorb any remaining sauce. It also helps the lasagna set up so it’s easier to keep some shape to it when you take it out. If it’s too hot and runny, it still tastes amazing, but it kind of falls apart doesn’t look as nice on the plate.

It’s time to enjoy your creation! Have you tried gluten free lasagna in the Instant Pot? Was it successful? Do you have other ingredients or tips to share? Add them in the comments! I’d love to hear if you’ve made this or a similar version and how you liked it. Enjoy!

Need help going gluten free? Grab the free checklist!

My husband and I were talking the other day about a trip many years ago (pre marriage and pre kids) when we spent a weekend on Catalina Island. It was a fun weekend with kayaking, snorkeling (including a surprising swim with wild sea turtles with no one else around). One of the highlights of our trip was a delicious Sunday breakfast of Chilaquiles. I have no idea what the place was even called, or if it’s still there, but I’ve forever loved Chilaquiles since then, and oddly, don’t hardly ever make them.

After reminiscing the other day, I decided we were way overdue for this favorite dish. It was pretty easy to throw together with items we had on hand.

Crispy tostada shells (conveniently many of which were already broken)
1 Chicken breast
1/2 Onion
Chili powder, garlic, salt, pepper
Red enchilada sauce (I like Hatch brand)
Cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, or whatever – hard to go wrong with cheese in general)
Cilantro and/or green onions for garnish

• Rub a casserole dish with a bit of butter to prevent sticking
• Please large pieces of crisp tostada shells in bottom of casserole dish (to approx 1/2 the overall height of the dish). For some reason the crisp tostada shells have a more authentic flavor than just regular tortilla chips.
• In a pan, cook the cut up chicken breast and onions with a bit of olive oil. Add in salt, pepper, garlic, and chili powder to taste.
• Add cooked chicken and onion mixture over the top of the tostada shells in the casserole dish.
• Top with a generous amount of red enchilada sauce, reserving any leftover for another meal.
• Top that with shredded cheese.
• Bake covered at about 350* for approx 20 – 30 minutes until hot through and bubbling on the sides.
• Garnish with cilantro and/or green onions (as well as sour cream if you like) and enjoy!

I didn’t include eggs in my version as my husband is allergic to them, so I made a poached egg separately and added it only to my serving of chilaquiles.

I tried baking our bacon this morning in the oven for the first time. It came out really nice – flat and crisp without being burnt. I’ll definitely be using that method again.

It was SO good and really quite easy. I actually walked the dog while the chilaquiles were baking. Multitasking. That’s what I’m talking about!

Do you make this dish? If so, any special tips or tricks that you recommend? Feel free to add them in the comments.

On a recent trip to Washington DC (which was awesome btw), I used my “Find Me Gluten Free” app with much success.

Side note here. If you don’t have this app, go find it right now. I’m serious. It’s free and it’s amazing!! This is a life saver when you’re in an unfamiliar place and need to find gluten friendly dining options. You can search by type of food, allergen and map. I used this every day on our trip. But I digress.

So in a search on our last night in town, it comes up with Soi 38, which was a short walk from our hotel. I think this was my favorite meal while we were there.

The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. And.. wait for it.. gluten free options were clearly marked on the menu. We enjoyed the Kuay Tiew Lui Suan roll (delicious). Then we moved on to the Tom Ka Gai. Again, amazing. Then we shared Pad Thai (sans the egg since hubby can’t have egg) and Panang – both fabulous.

Thankfully we had to walk back to the hotel because we needed a walk after this. It was SO worth it though.

Another side note, this wonderful meal was reminiscent of my favorite meal during a 2002 visit to France – a small Vietnamese restaurant in Avignon. I begged for vegetables the entire trip from Paris to Nice (pre GF) and mostly scored Croque Monsieur. Don’t get me wrong – France was amazing, but finally getting some flavorful, spicy vegetables was a slice of heaven.

So – two takeaways here.. get the Find Me Gluten Free App and travel away! Bon Appetit!

As most of my favorite recipes, it’s easy to make and doesn’t take very many ingredients (I’m all about using staples and things on hand). This is a great dish to do casserole style if you have company coming over.

Ingredients

Chicken breasts, thawed and butterflied
Mushrooms, sliced
Canned artichokes and/or sundried tomatoes if you prefer these for extra flavor
Cooking Sherry
Fresh rosemary
Chicken stock or water
Corn Starch
Rice
Salt, Pepper
Garlic Powder
Olive Oil
Lemon

Directions

In a side pan or Instant Pot, make the rice. Let it cook while you handle the chicken dish.

Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and squeeze some fresh lemon juice on it. Sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder and fresh chopped rosemary.

Place in hot pan (cast iron works great as it browns the chicken well). Make sure temp is turned to medium low so the cooking cooks through all the way without burning the outside. Monitor and turn after approx 7 minutes, browning both sides.

Once both sides are browned, add a bit of chicken stock or water. Gently move chicken around a bit to loosen any cooked on pieces in the bottom of the pan. Then add approx 1/4 cup cooking sherry.

Add sliced mushrooms (& artichokes or sundried tomatoes if you’ve decided to use these). Gently mix so all items are in the simmering juice.

In a mug or measuring cup, combine approx 1/3 cup cool water with 1 tbsp corn starch. Mix with spoon, then add slowly a little at a time to pan. Stir gently in between adding to watch for desired consistency. You want something resembling a medium consistency gravy.

Once the sauce is where you want it, turn burner off and let chicken rest for a few minutes absorbing the flavor and finishing any necessary cooking in the middle of the chicken.

Serve atop rice and with any side vegetable you prefer.

It takes a bit of prep due to the chopping, but it’s worth it and provides a healthy, light dish for a few days. It’s great for summer BBQs, potluck and pool parties.

Traditional ceviche “cooks” the raw fish by marinating in lime juice. For this version, I just cook the shrimp. However, if you prefer the traditional method, you can marinate the shrimp in lime juice to “cook it” and can add other white fish such as halibut as well if desired.

Ingredients

6 cucumbers, peeled, cut length-wise and de-seeded (scoop seeds out with a spoon)
1 sweet onion
4 medium plum tomatoes (or other tomatoes with good, ripe flavor
1 lb frozen raw shrimp
1 can sliced black olives
Fresh cilantro
1 lime
Salt

Directions

Bring a pot of water to a boil to cook the shrimp. While the pot is warming, soak the shrimp in cool water and peel/clean.

Once water is boiling, add some salt and the shrimp. Watch closely as it only takes a few minutes for the shrimp to cook through. 3 – 5 minutes is usually about right so set a timer, or keep an eye on it. Once they turn from pale translucent to pink, they are done. You can taste for preferred done-ness as well.

Remove shrimp from heat, rinse and place in a bowl of ice water to chill.

While the shrimp cools, cut cucumber, tomato, onion and olives (if not already sliced) in a small chop. Not minced, but I like fairly small squares (slices for the olives). Due to wanting the chop consistent for all items and not ending up with a “pureed” texture, I chop by hand rather than using a food processor. Add items to a large bowl as you go.

Once the above items are cut and in the bowl, remove the shrimp from the ice water and cut into bite sized pieces. Depending on the size of shrimp you are using, this may equate to about 3 – 4 pieces per shrimp. Add to bowl.

Now squeeze some fresh lime juice over all ingredients, add some fresh chopped cilantro, and a pinch or two of salt. Cover and store bowl in refrigerator for an hour or two until all ingredients are chilled and flavors have had a chance to mix.

Serve with Tabasco, Sriracha or other hot sauce, lime wedges and additional cilantro on the side so people can accent as they like. Enjoy!

You’ll want to start some rice on the side. I usually use a mix of brown and white so you get a bit of the “sticky” white rice texture with the more healthful brown rice benefits.

Aside from some chopping, this is an easy dish to throw together and cooks up very fast.

Sauce Ingredients:

Olive oil (enough to grease pan)

1/4 cup Gluten free soy sauce

1/4 cup Water or broth (veggie, steak, chicken)

1 – 2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tsp fresh grated ginger (or more if you prefer)

Zest from 1/2 an orange

Dash of red pepper flakes

1-2 cloves crushed garlic

Corn starch (see below) for thickening at the end

Main Ingredients:

Packaged shitake mushrooms (break up 3 or 4 mushrooms and soak in warm water while chopping other items)

Water chestnuts

Baby corn

Celery, bok choy, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, onion, etc as desired.

Steak, chicken, shrimp, tofu

Directions:

Put the sauce components in the pan (excluding corn starch) and bring to medium-high temp, stirring to mix sauce flavors.

Add all veggies and protein.

Turn heat down to medium.

Saute for approx 5-7 minutes until veggies are al dente and protein is cooked through. In the case of steak, I sometimes let the veggies cook for a couple minutes before adding the steak so it’s not too done.

Have a cup with approx 1/4 cup cold water and 1 – 2 TBSP of corn starch mixed in. Pour a little at a time into sauce when nearly complete to thicken sauce to desired consistency.

Remove from heat once done and sauce is thickened.

Serve over rice with a nice side of Sriracha and this dish will cure what ails you!  Toasted sesame seeds are also good sprinkled on top. A leaf or two of basil provides an added layer of fresh flavor to the finished dish. Enjoy!

The face wash is a gentle foaming soap that smells mild (somewhat medicinal, but not offensive at all from my experience). A little bit goes a long way and the gentle cleansing feels calming on your skin.

The toner is also mild and doesn’t over dry. Although it can result in a slight stinging sensation. Particularly if you have any existing acne breakouts.

The moisturizer is light, absorbs quickly and has next to no scent. Again, a little bit goes a long way and moisturizes well without being greasy or heavy.

The spot treatment is very effective – again without causing extreme drying, redness and flaking like most other blemish treatment products.

The overall results are improved skin tone along with moisturized, clear skin. The products seem to speed up recovery from any outbreaks and minimize redness and irritation during outbreaks.

I use these products in conjunction with IS Clinical serums.

While the kit is geared toward acne control, I feel it’s gentle enough for most anyone to use. This line was initially recommended to me by an Aesthetician’s office and I’m really happy I found it.

To learn more about the Solvere line, view it here.

I began using these in conjunction with the Solvere skin care line and the results have been great. My skin has been much more clear with skin tone and moisture retention improving as well.

Conservancy Tip: With slightly damp hands (immediately after washing your face), a small amount of the serums & lotion will go a long way.

iS Clinical Pro-Heal

Per the description on Amazon, the Pro-Heal serum is an advanced & efficacious curative serum that contains olive leaf extract as well as vitamins C, E & A for superior antioxidant & healing properties. The serum helps treat rosacea, cystic acne, insect bites & some forms of dermatitis. It’s formulated with Kojic Acid & Arbutin to regulate hyperpigmentation. The serum is blended with Zinc Sulfate to boost wound healing. From personal experience, skin appears calmer, evenly-toned & healthier looking.

iS Clinical Active Serum

This formulation offers lasting results improving fine lines & wrinkles while softening skin’s texture. The serum minimizes the appearance of hyperpigmentation, redness & acne, unveiling a clearer, brighter & healthier-looking complexion.

iS Extreme Protection SPF30

iS by Innovative Skincare Extreme Protect SPF 30 hydrates, repairs and protects the skin during sun exposure. Gotu kola extract promotes elasticity to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Aloe and vitamin E soothe, nourish and smooth the skin. Olive leaf extract reduces redness and protects against sun damage.

This moisturizer provides great moisture without being greasy or lingering. As mentioned initially, a small amount will go a long way.

While it claims it’s spicy, I wouldn’t say it’s all that spicy. Then again, I like things hot. The dish includes fresh fusilli pasta, chicken, broccoli, green onion, mixed veggies and fresh basil, topped with almonds. It wasn’t listed on the menu, but mine also had eggplant. The dish was very flavorful and hearty – perfect for a chilly winter day. It also arrived with nice texture gluten free bread on the side.

For those with egg sensitivities, Picazzo’s also offers an egg & wheat free linguini as well as an egg and wheat free flat bread. I haven’t personally tried these options, but it’s nice to make an effort to cater to a variety of allergens.

After reviewing Picazzo’s menu, there are so many other non-pizza dishes I want to try – lasagna, eggplant parmesan, canelloni… Guessing I’ll be frequenting my nearby Picazzo’s regularly to test out some more of these mouth watering options. Stay tuned for more Picazzo’s delicious-ness!

Do you have a favorite dish at Picazzo’s? Please share in the comments!