Family Lasagna Recipe
I feel like I should start off by clarifying that I do not have any Italian blood in my body and do not claim to have the most authentic Lasagna dish.
What I can say for certain, is that this dish tastes unreal. So good that even though I noticed we were out of Mozzarella cheese at the last minute, I still decided to make a post reluctantly with cheddar on it instead.
First things first, I get started by getting the lean ground beef onto the frying pan at medium heat. The recipe also tastes magnificent with ground pork, turkey or chicken.
While the beef is browning away, now is the time to get the tomato sauce together, along with the spices that will be simmering with the meat.
For this concoction, I add:
- diced tomatoes
- tomato sauce
- fresh parsley
- salt and pepper
- basil
- a couple good shakes of garlic powder
Now that the tomato sauce combo is ready, the beef should nearly be browned enough to drain.
I drain it in the sink with hot water running, then move it back to the pan.
At this point, we dump the tomato mixture on top of the meat.
Mix together the beef with the tomato sauce and mix really well at medium heat. Once I bring the mixture to a boil, I reduce it to simmer uncovered at low heat for 45 minutes.
This is when the aroma starts to fill the air. There is nothing like the smell of Lasagna being cooked in the kitchen.
While the meat sauce is simmering on the stove, now is the time to get the cottage cheese mixture ready.
For this mix, I add:
- cottage cheese
- grated parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley
- salt & pepper
Now is the time to grate the cheese as well. Again, Lasagna should always be made with Mozzarella cheese, but if you run out without noticing as I did here, throwing cheddar in there still tastes great.
So the meat mixture is done, the cottage cheese mixture is done, and the cheese is grated.
It is time to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Now is a good time to bring up Lasagna noodles. For years I would boil my own, drain and use them. To be honest, I have found that the oven-ready noodles are nearly just as good. Plus, when you have a child and are in a rush, trimming some time on your cooking is a welcoming process.
Next, it is time to start layering the baking dish. Starting with a layer of Lasagna noodles at the very bottom of the dish, you then add a layer of meat mixture, followed by a layer of cottage cheese mixture, finishing off with a layer of grated cheese.
The layering process is completed twice creating two scrumptious layers of flavourful goodness.
The next step would be to throw this masterpiece into the oven. Well, don't throw it, but be excited about it.
I give it 30 mins in there at 350. Roughly 5 minutes before the time is up, I change the stove setting to top broil on high as I love giving the cheese a bit of a brown hardness to it.
Let it sit for 20-30 minutes after pulling it out of the oven.
Voila! There you have a decent lasagna that is sure to please most people that bite into it.
For me, I have cut down a lot on carbs, therefore I make this dish much less now. But when I do, it sure brings a smile to my face and stomach.
Best served with garlic bread or salad.
TIP:
Lasagna tends to be a bit watery when you pull it out of the oven.
I feel that Lasagna tastes the best cooking it the day before or a few hours at the very least. This allows the liquid to be absorbed fully and the flavours to settle.
Thanks for reading!