There's really nothing like a good lasagna. And trust me - this will probably be the best lasagna you ever eat. If it's not... well then, I guess I like to exaggerate, huh?
Ingredients: - 2 lb. hamburger/ground beef/same thing
- 1 small green pepper
- 1 big onion or 2 small ones
- 2 jars great value/prego (I used great value) chunk onion and garlic sauce
- 2 small or 1 medium can of mushrooms
- Lasagna noodles!
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 medium tub of cottage cheese
Directions: Preheat oven to 350. With your onion and green pepper, you'll want to chop them up. Personally, I invested in a Vidalia chopper (it's in your as seen on tv aisle in walmart, go get one!) because I cannot stand the smell of onion. I cry every damn time. So yes, go get you one. Otherwise, just chop both up pretty small. I chop 'em up as small as i can without them being transparent, but hey, if you want it chunkier, but all means go ahead
Also! You cannot just smoosh lasagna noodles together and cook them like you do with spaghetti and such. You'll probably need a larger pot for that. Otherwise, just cook the noodles however the package says. DO NOT for the love of all that is holy buy the noodles that are all "Oh yeah, you can just stick me in the oven and go!" yeah, just don't.
Okay, so your noodles are on. Now we want to take a big ass skillet and brown up our meat. Once it's all brown, you'll want to drain all the juice from them. Hold up! Wait! Keep them in that skillet, geesh. Now, pour your jars of sauce into your skillet and mix it all up. Put your burner on low and just let it simmer. Also, remember to add in your veggies (pepper, onion, mushroom) and stir those in as well. It doesn't have to simmer for a long time, just let it do so while you're prepping your pan and all that.
Typically, you'd use a 9x13, but I didn't want that much lasagna so used a slightly smaller pan. Oh? Why did I use 2 freaking pounds of meat then? Because I like my lasagna meaty, kthx.
Anyway. So you want to put a few spoonfuls of your sauce in the bottom of your pan, and spread it out. Next, take a few spoonfuls of cottage cheese and cover the sauce. This doesn't have to be pretty, or even completely even. Mine sure as hell isn't, but just as long as you're happy with it. Next, sprinkle on some moz/parm cheese, and put your first layer of noodles. My pan took 3 noodles across. You'll want to continue this pattern (sauce, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, noodle) until you get to your very last layer. By now you'll probably be out of cottage cheese, which is fine. DO NOT use cottage cheese on the very top layer. Put sauce over your noodles, and then smother that shit with your shredded cheese. I mean smother it. Make sure it chokes.
Hey, I never said this was healthy. If you want healthy lasagna, head on over to
karmavore's site and enjoy.
Now, stick that puppy in the oven for 30 minutes, give or take. Really you just want the top to be a nice golden brown.
And now: omnomnom!
How do you make your lasagna?
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Comments (30)
Your lasagna does look delicious! om nom nom... I need to make it asap.
Yay Lacey! :D
I'll be putting up my Lasagna sometime today hopefully.
@osmundaregalis@xanga - Thanks! It totes is, though I may be biased.
i love lasagne, this one looks tasty!
yummmm looks good. Lol at the thumbs up for the chopper.
I never eaten lasagne
no ricotta?!?!?! if its too expensive make your own =) all you need is buttermilk, heavy cream, and salt...maybe a little lemon juice if you dont get enough curds. simmer...strain in cheesecloth...press for 1 hour...and you gots yourself fresh ricotta :). I would know, I had to make this constantly at Craft LA.
oh and this Lasagggggna looks hearty!
@DeathzDezign@xanga - I actually just don't like ricotta in lasagna. It's weird, because I'll use it in manicotti, but I don't like it in lasagna. haha
@live_for_love@xanga - werrd...I like using spinach, and cherry tomatoes on top of what you already listed. the cherry tomatoes add almost a sofrito texture to it...without the beans
@DeathzDezign@xanga - I really like spinach in it too, but I was making this for my boyfriend and mom for dinner, and they're big babies about anything leafy and green, so I had to modify it. I've never tried cherry tomatoes, I may have to do that next time.
dang, i don't even like lasagna and this looks good
One other addition...eggplant slices, breaded, and precooked in olive oil, layered on the noodles. You can either peel, slice and bread your own fresh, or find the slices already prepared and frozen...and just use them.
I like lasagna with minimal tomato sauce. Is that weird? Haha. Not a fan of tomato.
i make my lasagna just like the link you added =) thanks for the shout girl.
Also, I think this would be the best lasagna if I was omni, it certainly looks omnomnomomggg i'm so hungry now
this looks awesome, but my mom's will always have the biggest place in my heart. lol.
For the most part, that looks good. If I were making it, though, I wouldn't be using the bell pepper (I can't stand them!), and I would probably use coniderably less onion. And I would probably use a lot more mushrooms.
That sounds really good. Gee thanks, now i want lasagna. But how in the world do you think you can get away with calling anything that comes out of a jar "the world's best"?
You should cook the onions and peppers (and some garlic) with the meat (or even throw them in first), so that it takes on their flavor. And definitely drain some of the grease! Yuck!
I like to add a couple eggs and some of the mozzarella to the cottage/ricotta cheese mixture so i get a nice cheesy layer, instead of the random cheese flecks everywhere like in the frozen ones.
@liquid_s@xanga - @introllama@xanga - I didn't title it that, IRLF did. My title was just "Lasagna!"
I need to add my cents here regarding jarred sauce.
I realize Lasagna is a sanctified dish to many people; and the use of jarred sauce in a Lasagna is heresy. But the truth is, in a lasagna that has so many strong elements going into it, the quality of a homemade sauce is not as apparent as it is with dishes that feature the sauce as a major component.
My point is, if you're making a Lasagna and it's going to be the best lasagna ever, and you're serving it to your grandmother or something and don't mind spending hours making it, sure use a homemade sauce because if you can use the best, use the best. But for a weeknight meal? No. Not worth it. Use a good quality jarred sauce, it saves a lot of time and trouble.
When it's time to make the good stuff on the weekend, that's when you make sauce from scratch and simmer it for hours, letting the ingredients break down and the flavor compounds develop over time.
This may not be the World's Best Lasagna (especially since IRLF added the title, not she); but a quick and simple one that most people can make? This is.
- CHOW.IReallyLikeFood.com
tl;dr ._. numbered steps would be nice... instead of paragraphs.
This looks and sounds great! We love lasagne but I've never tried to make it before. Now I have a great recipe to work from! Thanks!
OMG!!! it looks so YUM!!!
I ate some lasagna yesterday... Yummy