Classic Lasagna

I absolutely love a family dinner that involves digging into a big, cheesy, meaty family dinner.  This weekend I wanted to be able to have a good dinner with my family after a long week.  Thus … homemade, lasagna.  Most times when you think of a family size lasagna you start to think that it’s going to take way too long, take too much time to prep, and seems too complicated.  This week I’m going to show you how I use store short cuts to make this classic lasagna simply, and even give you the ability to make it ahead on the weekend so during the week all you have to do is pop in the oven and cook.  How much easier can we get?  And, how much more delicious can we get? 

Lasagna is a great Sunday family dinner meal.  I find this is probably when I cook it the most is for my big family Sunday dinner.  Prepping it before hand can also leave me without having to spend hours in the kitchen on the day I most want to just sit back and relax. 

So, let’s look at what we need to get to prepare for this yummy comfort meal. 

·       1 pound ground beef

·       1 package No Boil Lasagna noodles, (HUGE time saver!)

·       1 jar spaghetti sauce, (store shortcut!)

·       2-3 cups of Mozzarella shredded cheese

·       1 package of sliced Mozzarella cheese

·       1 large container Ricotta cheese

·       Parsley, finely diced

·       Garlic Salt

·       Italian Seasoning

·       Parmesan cheese, (for topping)

·       1 while onion finely diced, and sautéed

·       2-3 cloves of garlic, finely diced

Use a 9 x 13 glass pan and spray liberally with cooking spray of your choice.  I love using Coconut Oil cooking spray because I find it easier to work with to keep things from sticking, but of course use whatever you feel comfortable using.  Spray your glass pan nicely to keep your lasagna from sticking to the bottom or the sides of the dish.

Begin by sautéing your white onions and minced garlic.  Add in your ground beef and cook together with your onions and garlic.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Once browned all the way through, add in your jar of your favorite store bought spaghetti sauce.  I like to add in Garlic Salt and Italian Seasoning to help spice up my store bought sauce, along with a dash or two of Parmesan cheese to give it a nice flavor profile.  Turn your pan down to a low simmer and simmer together for approximately 5 minutes to let all your flavors come together. 

Next we are going to prep our Ricotta cheese mixture.  I use my food processor and add in my Ricotta cheese and chopped parsley to get it well combined, however you can use a large mixing bowl to achieve the same result. 

Grab your shredded and sliced mozzarella and create a nice assembly line with all your ingredients.  Begin by adding a small amount of your meat sauce mixture to the bottom of the glass pan you have sprayed.  Add a layer of No Bake Lasagna Noodles and then begin your layers.  I do a Ricotta layer, meat layer and shredded mozzarella layer.  Then continue your layers until your lasagna gets to the top of the glass dish.  Add on your sliced mozzarella to the top along with some reserved chopped parsley just to give it some nice color on top.

At this point you can then cover and place in the fridge or freezer to make this a perfect make-ahead meal for during the week. 

Place in a 375-degree oven and cook for approximately 45 minutes and cover with foil to prevent any burning to the top.  Then, remove the foil and cook for the remaining 10-15 minutes, or until your top is golden and bubbly. 

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving and serve up with a delicious side salad or tasty garlic bread.  You will feel confident and happy to give this cheesy, meaty, filled-with-love dinner to your family.  Enjoy!