Lasagna for Recipe Friday
I’ve been thinking about doing this recipe for Recipe Friday for quite a while, and since I made some last week and remembered to take pictures I decided it is finally time.
This is my son’s all-time favorite food; it’s what he always wants on his birthday or any other special occasion when he gets to decide the menu. He has had lasagna in restaurants quite a few times but he always says it’s not as good as mine. I’m not sure if that is because mine is really better or because he’s just a good kid who loves him mom. Either way, the compliment makes me feel good, so I keep making this favorite dish even though it’s a bit time-consuming and takes more pre-planning than most of the things I cook.
If you are looking for a low-fat recipe, this is not it. It has 7 cups of cheese and 1 pound of ground beef or sausage! But it is definitely yummy! And the good thing is that one pan of it makes enough leftovers for at least one more dinner for the three of us.
Lasagna
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (or beef and sausage mix)
¼ chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1 32 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
9 lasagna noodles
Olive oil
15 oz container ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 cup parmesan cheese
4 cups mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350° (you can wait to do this later if your oven pre-heats quickly because assembly takes a while). Fry ground beef (or beef and sausage mixture) in a deep saucepan. Remove grease. Stir in onion and garlic. You can either chop the garlic or use a garlic press. (I just got a garlic press for Christmas and I highly recommend using a nice one!). Salt lightly. Add spaghetti sauce (reserving 2 tbsp) and stir. Set aside.
While the meat is cooking, bring water to a boil in a 4 quart saucepan. Pour a small amount of olive oil in the water. Add the 9 lasagna noodles and cook according to the package directions. When the noodles are done, pour off the boiling water and add cold water to cool down the noodles. This will make them easier to handle during assembly of the lasagna.
In a small mixing bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, egg, oregano, and basil. Set aside.
Now you are ready to assemble the lasagna in a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Spray the bottom of the dish with cooking spray. Spread the reserved spaghetti sauce in the bottom. Lay 3 lasagna noodles in the baking dish. Pour ½ of the meat and sauce mixture over the noodles and spread evenly. Sprinkle 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Then layer 3 more noodles. Next spread the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. (This is probably the hardest part of the recipe because the noodles want to move so you have to hold the end of each noodle). Sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella cheese and ¼ cup parmesan cheese over ricotta cheese. Next layer last 3 noodles. Spread remaining meat and sauce mixture over noodles. Sprinkle 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese and ¾ cup parmesan cheese on top.
Bake lasagna for 30 – 40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes after you remove from the oven. Enjoy!
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Hello Linda,
Hope this doesn’t come across too spammy, but I’m trying to get a new blog together that will be more of a Christian literary journal called Idylls For the King where others can contribute poems, fiction, and song lyrics. It would be great if you would have a look at the site (http://idyllsfortheking.wordpress.com/). If you think you might like to contribute something, just send me an email. Blessings!
Eden
Eden, This isn’t “spammy” at all! I am honored that you would ask me to contribute something to Idylls for the King. I will certainly think about it. Now that I am blogging every day for 2011, I don’t know if I will have time, unless you wouldn’t care if something was posted in both places. Peace, Linda
It is fine if it is posted in both places 🙂 Let me know if you decide you want to post something and I will make you a contributer to the site. Blessings!
Eden
Laughing about this not being low fat and getting hungry for lasagna! Feel like Garfield! This was so professional Linda, with the pictures and instructions. Watch out . . .the Food Network is going to want you working for them!!!
God bless you and your wonderful sharing of yourself and your Savior! and your favorite recipes! yum.
Deb, Adding the pictures was so much fun! You may not have noticed, but I went back and added a picture of Texas Skillet Dinner to that recipe, too. Maybe if you showed your hubby how yummy it looks he might be willing to try it even though it is a rice dish. 😉 I also added a Recipe Index page to make it easier for me and everyone else to find a specific recipe.
As for Food Network, I doubt they will come looking for me, but I have made it onto the Foodpress page! Peace, Linda
congratulations! I just thought it was excellent! and I love the recipe index page idea . . .thank you. My own personal online cookbook! You gotta laugh at my hubby . . .or cry. ha! I gotta laugh! A sister-in-law got me a Paula Dean recipe calendar. Flipping through it with my hubby, I asked if he’d eat this month’s recipe or the next one . . .NOPE! ha! to all twelve months of mouth watering pictures of food. We won’t tell Paula . . .:) God bless you and tenderly care for you this weekend. Hope it is all good for you!
Thanks Linda,
There are people in this house who will eat lasagna 24-7 . I’ll gladly share your recipe. 🙂 🙂
Blessings
ann
Ann, My family will eat anything I cook, but this is definitely one of their favorites. You’ll have to let me know if anyone in your house tries it out. 🙂 Peace, Linda