I made a 12 pound LASAGNA!!! Yes 12 pounds! When I lived in Boise, I remember my Aunt Pam making a delicious lasagna, so I facebooked her for the recipe! The next day I ventured out and bought all the ingredients and came home that afternoon and spent some time (a little over an hour maybe...) making this dish!
Here is a pic of the meat cooking...I used 1 lb. ground deer meat and 1 lb. mild italian sausage & 1 medium chopped onion & some garlic.
Some of the ingredients. Obviously these are the ones that are not still in the refrigerator. I only used 1 can of sauce, but if/when I make this again, I will most likely use 2.
While the meat was cooking, I let the sauce simmer (1 26oz. can pasta sauce, 1 can stewed tomatoes (I used the italian style) garlic cloves and a mixture of different italian seasonings) I also cooked the noodles (I used a little over 1/2 the box) and also mixed 1 small tub cottage cheese, 3 eggs, and about 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese & 1/2 cup italian cheese blend together with some basil ( I didn't have parsley...whoops) and also boiled 4 eggs (cracked and chopped). When all of that was done, it was time to put the lasagna together! On the bottom of a 9x13 pan, put a layer of simmered sauce (this helps with the noodles not sticking to pan...which it really works) then layer noodles (3-4) then put another layer of sauce. Spread a layer of meat mixture on the top, sprinkle some of the chopped boiled egg, layer about 24 pepperoni slices, then a layer of cottage cheese mixture, sprinkle with cheese, next layer 3-4 noodles and repeat the layers...on the top I did not put the cottage cheese mixture. I did 2 layers of all the ingredients and then on the top just put some sauce, ground meat and covered with shredded cheese.
Getting ready to layer the lasagna ingredients.
All layered up and time to put in the preheated oven (375 for about 1 hour...I put mine in at 370 (my oven cooks hot) for about 40 minutes though and it was done.)
Now for the mess it made...I never claimed to be a neat chef, however, why do yummy dinners always take SOOO many dishes??
Now it's time to take it out and let it cool for about 10 minutes...
(my favorite part about this pic is Brynn's chocolate face in the background...she was licking the beaters and bowl from the chocolate mousse I made...out of a box...not from scratch)
Now time to dish it up...I should have let it cool longer because it kind of falls over when plated...but oh well. The 2nd day (when it was cold) it held together just like a picture perfect lasagna.
And that's it...my lasagna is made! The last few times I have eaten lasagna it has been the frozen kind and by the end of my dinner I feel blah and I figured it was just because it was a frozen variety (usually costco) however, as I ate this I felt the same way. I just wasn't a fan of the noodles and all the other combinations...my sister said it was good (she came over to help eat the 12 pounds) Jerret said it was good, Brynn liked it, and both my parents said it was good (I brought them some to work the next day). I have decided...I am just not a fan of Lasagna...
However, I would recommend this recipe. :)
yummy! Next time try ricotta instead of cottage cheese, less runny and great flavor. Large ricotta, 2 eggs, oregano, garlic pwdr, s/p, parmesan cheese. A friend of mine uses the sliced mozarella instead of grated but it costs more. I remember grating balls of mozza with my Nana <3. Lee isn't a fan of pepperoni, so I cook sweet mild italian sausages and slice them up instead. Usually use just beef or moose burger with spices and onion for the rest of the meat layer. Also, I put crisco on the bottom of my pan before that first layer of sauce - helps it from sticking even better :) Sometimes I use the no-cook lasagna noodles, but you really have to be careful that you have plenty of sauce or it is dry. When Meredith was little we found this 'lasagna roll-up' recipe. You might like it because it's not as 'heavy' a dish (although its a little more time-consuming). The beauty is they end up like individual servings and easy to keep as leftovers, we've frozen them two to a pack before. Just cook the noodles and instead of layering, put some meat and cheese fillings on the end of a noodle and roll it up. Set them in the pan with the 'seam' side down and pour sauce and a layer of cheese over. bake about 45 min at 350. Brynn might like them!
ReplyDeletep.s. Uncle Bud slices his hb eggs, I sort of like the looks of that! Most of the time I forget to do the eggs and make it without them :) Oh, and my top layer is just noodles, sauce and cheese.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the additional tips :) All of them sound wonderful...but then when I eat it, it grosses me out...not sure why though. :( Growing up I was never a fan of spaghetti and I think it might be kinda like that...
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