Meatless on Monday #4 Veggie Bake

I actually turned on my oven this morning!  
If you haven't been following for long you may not be aware that I've been on a no-bake kick.  Also, if you haven't checked out Back to the Basics you may not know that I injured my finger a few days ago (5 to be exact).  I won't go into details but it involved my finger and a sharp spinning blade. I managed to walk away with my finger intact but slightly mangled (it was gross).  I was more embarrassed at the stupidity of my actions!

So here I am, it's Sunday and I'm disgusted at the waste of food in the fridge since I've been MIA from the kitchen.  Hubby has been in charge of meals so it's been oatmeal, salads and sandwiches.  We even ordered Chinese one night.  Not that I'm complaining...He is amazingly helpful and doesn't complain about the extra work.

Back to the food...This recipe was completely made up of random stuff from the fridge that needed to be eaten.  Here goes!

Veggie Bake

Ingredients:
1 cup rice
2 cups water
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/2 Red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 Green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 Onion, chopped
1/2 bag of Broccoli Slaw, you can use a full bag but I only had half
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1/2 - 15 ounce container of ricotta cheese, I used fat-free
2 cups milk
3 eggs
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Cook Rice according to directions (mine said 2 cups water, 1 cup rice) then add red pepper flakes and seasoning.  Mix well.

On medium heat, cook bell peppers, onion and broccoli slaw with olive oil.  Turn off heat before veggies are fully cooked.  Approximately 5 minutes.

While you're waiting for everything to cook, mix ricotta cheese, milk, eggs and seasoning.  I mixed it by hand (not taking any chances).

I used 2 cake pans for this since I could not find my large glass lasagna pan.  Use whatever works for you.  Spray your pan with non-stick spray.  Layer rice on the bottom then the cooked veggies.  Top with the ricotta mixture.  Cover pan with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Uncover and cook for 5 minutes.

When I make this again, I'll add fresh or home-canned jalapeno slices.  This is a great meal to make ahead or freeze.  I made plenty so we can eat leftovers while I continue my recovery.

Enjoy!


*I'm announcing details of the giveaway at Back to the Basics this Friday*  I didn't forget it's just been a bit crazy lately!