52 in 52 #34 - Homemade Lasagna

Lasagna. 

I don't know why I have always been so scared to make lasagna.  I have successfully made stuffed shells and baked ziti numerous times... same basic ingredients but different placement in a pan.. what is so mystifying about that?  Maybe it's the fact that most people from Italy know someone who can make a lasagna that is life-changing.  Maybe it's the fact that there are *so* many awful recipe reviews online.   

As a part of my monthly meal plan, I have started to ask my husband for input during the planning process of what he would and would not like to eat during the month.  After first month of meal planning, I learned that it is better to ask up front what he would like to eat instead of assuming that during the month he will want to eat tacos and spaghetti.  Baby steps to happiness during marriage.  I should write a book.  I digress... This month his request was lasagna.  Luckily, Pinterest is there and ripe with recipes that people claim to be "The Best (insert random item here) that they have ever had!"

I found this recipe.  Now, of course, I had to make some changes.  Today was my shopping trip for my monthly meal plan and we didn't end up getting home until after 6pm.  This recipe, as written, wants you to cook the sauce for more than an hour by itself.  I had three hungry kids and a starving husband... we did not have time to wait, so I did substitute making my own sauce and used a jarred marinara sauce.  I have made my own sauce before with both the ziti and stuffed shells and it is completely worth the time that it takes the sauce to simmer.  I didn't have plans to make any changes and at some point this month or next, I will make the recipe exactly as written.  However, even with my modifications, this recipe is awesome, and it was easy enough even for a novice like me to make. 

Try it out or let me know your favorite lasagna recipes! 

Homemade Lasagna
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

• 12 regular lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions - these are not the one minute/no cook/etc. 
• 1 container ricotta cheese (15-16oz)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 2 Tbsp fresh parsley
• 1 large jar marinara sauce of your choice
• 1lb ground beef
• 1lb mild Italian sausage
• 1 medium white onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1lb mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
• Liberally grease a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Unless you want to celebrate the awesome-ness of this recipe by standing over a sink full of a gross pan of stuck on lasagna, I 100% recommend that you use what you feel is too much cooking spray on your pan.  You have been warned. 
• Brown ground beef, Italian sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat.  Drain off any excess grease. 
• Add marinara sauce to the browned meat mixture and stir to incorporate.  We had to add a bit more of an open jar of sauce to our meat sauce to get the desired texture.  If you like your sauce a bit more hearty, then you might be fine with one jar.  You could also thin in out with an un-drained jar of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, beef stock, etc.  We just happened to have an open jar already hanging out in the fridge. 
• Allow sauce to warm over low heat. 
• Mix together ricotta cheese, parsley, salt and egg and set aside.
• Boil lasagna noodles according to package directions.  My package said to cook 12-14 minutes.  I cooked them a bit less than that because I knew that they would continue to cook in the lasagna and I didn't want a mushy noodle in my dish. 
• Drain pasta and prepare to layer.  I drizzled about 2 tsp olive oil over my colander after I drained the pasta so that the noodles wouldn't stick together while I was working on the other layers. 
• Add approx. 1 and 1/2 cups of sauce to the bottom of your 9x13 pan.  Layer 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce.  Top of 1/2 of the ricotta mixture and spread evenly over the top of the noodles.  Add enough sauce just to cover the ricotta mixture and top with approx. 1/3 of your Mozzarella and 1/3 of your Parmesan cheeses. 
• Repeat last step one time starting with the layering of another 4 lasagna noodles on top of this cheese mixture. 
• Top with last 4 lasagna noodles, remaining sauce and remaining cheeses. 
• Baked covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. 
• Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes. 
• Allow to set for 10-15 minutes after removing from the oven to ensure stability of all layers and to prevent your hard work from turning into a lasagna soup. 

Enjoy!