Well what a doozy this week has been! After a very fun first annual Kelly family trip last week (destination: Florida), Nick and I immediately jumped back in to deep end of work. Nick flew to Boston less than 12 hours after returning from the Sunshine State to the Golden State and I was trekking to Burbank a mere 2 hours after landing for a big network meeting. Needless to say, we have been burning the candle on both ends. 

And I can confidently say that after my first solo parenting week while also hosting my bosses in town from Toronto and London, I could not do this alone! As I collapsed into bed each night I kept thinking how grateful I am to have a partner who is in the trenches with me – through the long work days, the evening activities with Koa, the constant cleaning (!). I can also confidently say that I missed home-cooked meals! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good effortless meal out on the company dime but it lacks the comfort that a home-cooked meal provides. And even if you make healthy choices, you still feel off your game. Perhaps its the lack of control of ingredients or preparation, or perhaps it’s always the addition of dessert at the end, but I am so excited for a weekend at home, doing absolutely nothing but eating hearty home meals and snuggling with the family. 

This is one of those meals that packs all the comfort and coziness you are looking for while also being shockingly easy to make. It’s a one pan dish filled with ‘kitchen sink’ vegetables, topped with your favorite marinara sauce, and provides a healthy dose of protein with cottage cheese. 

You can use any vegetables really which is ideal as I finally accept we are transitioning from summer to fall (hello October!). I like eggplant and zucchini as a base because it holds flavor well and gives the dish a lasagna feel without the noodles. But the rest I change up every time – have a spare carrot, throw it in! Have some tomatoes or potatoes laying around, throw em in! I added corn one time after a BBQ night left me with extra husks. 

So next time you have a busy week like we did, put this one on the menu. It’s simple, it’s easy, it’s delicious. And it’s the perfect treat after surviving a full throttle week of ‘adulting.’

INGREDIENTS

1 eggplant

1 zucchini

1 squash

2 carrots

1 white onion

1 jar favorite marinara sauce

2 cups cottage cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella

fresh parsley

salt & pepper

Serving Size: 6-8

INSTRUCTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 400F. 
• Wash and slice all the vegetables. 
• Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. 
• Bake for 45 mins until all the vegetables are roasted.
• Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. 
• Remove the parchment paper from the baking sheet.
• Pour jar of marinara over the baking sheet and spread to cover. 
• Gently add vegetables back to the baking sheet on top of the marinara sauce.
• Dollop cottage cheese evenly over the vegetables. 
• Then top with mozzarella and fresh parsley. 
• Return to the oven and bake for 15-20 mins until bubbling. 
• Remove from the oven once again, let cool for a few minutes, enjoy!