What's in your lasagna?

[PenguinWaiters]

I cleaned out my food cabinet and found that I have a TON of lasagna noodles. I'm looking for inspiration - what do you put in your lasagna? Recipes and/or general suggestions welcome!

 

[KirstenB]

I'm interested too. I am a lazy cook. Just browned beef, 2 jars spaghetti sauce, some ricotta, an egg, some mozzarella and parmesan. I'd love to hear a fabulous homemade tomato sauce recipe.

 

[kafitty]

i haven't tried this yet, but i'm dying to...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_lasagn/

 

[redlight]

i haven't tried this yet, but i'm dying to...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_lasagn/

That looks delicious and like something I could actually cook!

 

[spacemermaid]

I put ricotta and steamed spinach in mine, with marinara sauce. I also make it the usual way (ricotta, marinara & beef) but use premade meatballs instead of sausage or ground beef...it looks really interesting when it's sliced!

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

Everyone says I have awesome lasagna...so here's what I do. It's a pretty basic recipe. Nothing fancy here. I brown 1 1/2 to 2lbs of hamburger. strain the fat off and mix it with spagetti sauce. I always boil my noodles..the bake in kind never taste right to me. Put down a layer of noodles, add a layer of sauce, then sliced mozzarella cheese and sprinkle parmesean. Then another layer of noodle/sauce, topped with ricotta ( ricotta cheese, mixed with an egg and parsley flakes ) sliced provolone on top of the ricotta mixture, then sprinkle parm. Then another layer noodles, sauce, and mozarella again....Bake until everything is gooey!

 

[Doe]

My husband makes a delicious lasagna but won't share the recipe. Family secret, blah blah blah. But I do know he uses Italian sausage, meatballs (with bacon pieces in them) and pepperoni. Uses mozzarella cheese. Makes his own sauce (the best!). I've tried to sneakily write it down as he makes it, but was caught once and he confiscated my notes.

 

[Disneylover79]

I make my own spaghetti sauce... I use 32oz of hunts tomato sauce and a 8 oz can of tomato paste... I brown 1lb 93/7 fat beef I season it with salt,pepper,garlic powder, basil and oregano....I then drain it and put in the tomato sauce, I then add more basil and oregano to taste....

As for my lasagna I put sauce on the bottom of my casserole dish then noodles then mozzarella cheese and ricotta cheese and Parmesan cheese then tomato sauce and then start over again (be sure to end with sauce on the top and cover all the noodles on top so they dont burn)... I cook it for 30-35 mins on 350 degrees....

 

[Goofyzgurl]

I brown around a pound each of ground italian sausage and regular ground beef. Use jar spaghetti sause, ricotta, sharp cheddar and mozzarella. If I have spinach I that in there too. Nothing complicated but it always comes out tasting pretty good.

 

[N.Bailey]

People love my lasagna. I use the recipe on back of the San Giorgio pasta box. I use Ragu because it's my favorite, but I'd suggest you use your personal favorite brand of sauce because IMO, it's what makes or breaks it. I mix it up a bit by adding 1/2 ricotta and 1/2 cottage cheese. I also mix everything together, but not all of the sauce or all of the Parmesan cheese. You'll need both to cover the top before cooking it and I always add some sauce to the bottom of my Pyrex dish before adding my first layer of pasta. It's just easier not having to do everything in layers. A friend of my mother's told me this little trick MANY years ago.

I'm not sure if the recipe says to cover the lasagna while cooking or not (I'm thinking it does not recommend this), but I always cover it. I also have to cook it longer than the recipe says because I'm using more ingredients (more ground beef, and doubling the cheese basically with the addition of both Ricotta and Cottage cheese - I also use Mozzarella but I don't change the amount listed on the recipe unless I happen to buy a bigger back of shredded cheese, then I just add it all).

I've always gotten raves whenever I've made it. Of course, my GF makes a fantastic lasagna too, but she doesn't begin to use the amount of ingredients that I do.

 

[maslex]

I was just thinking that I would have to call my friend for his recipe again. He had given it to me awhile ago but now I can't find it. But I do know that the cheese mixture was made with ricotta, mozzerella, Parmesean, CREAM CHEESE and spices. It's the cream cheese that really makes the lasagna. MMMMM

 

[Beth]

I made this one, recently, and my family thought it was wonderful....

World's Best Lasagna from AllRecipes.com

 

[Sorsha]

I make homemade sauce:
I brown a pound-and-a-half or so of ground beef in a big pot, drain off the fat, then add one huge can of crushed tomatoes, a can of "italian style-diced tomatoes with garlic and herbs and olive oil", a small can of chopped olives, a fork-full or so of finely chopped garlic (from the jar), and a can of tomato sauce. Then I add 1/2-3/4 of a box of beef stock (I go to the organic section and buy the all natural stuff - have to have no MSG). I let that simmer for at least an hour, maybe more, stirring frequently, till it is reduced and thick and delicious. Finally I season to taste with an Italian seasoning mix and then mix in lots of grated parmesan cheese.

The kids and DH like mushrooms, but I can't stand them, so sometimes I will spoon out some sauce for me and then add a can of mushrooms at the end of the cooking process.

For lasagna, I just layer this sauce, lasagna noodles, a mixture of mozzarella cheese and the "Italian" cheese blend you can buy pre-shredded and bagged, and a mixture of ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, an egg, and some herbs. I use LOTS of mozzarella, as DH likes things REALLY cheesy.

 

[barrett7890]

i recently started doing a new lasagne recipe.

It has meatballs, ricotta, mozarella, parmesan, parma ham, salami and homemade tomato sauce.

everyone has loved it, and it's a bit different from the normal mince nased lasagne.

cami
x

 

[OK!]

We usually do the typical ricotta cheese, mozzarella, etc., but also add in layers of sliced portabella mushrooms instead of meat. It is fantastic.

We sometimes use meat sauce if my dad's going to be at dinner or add in Italian sausage along with the mushrooms.

 

[Silent1CB]

Google "lasagna soup". Its what I now make during the rest of the year. Its extremely easy to make compared to lasagna. Just 1 pot to clean up. Its tastes even better the next day & thickens up to be like a loose lasagna. I freeze it into individual servings with ricotta & mozz cheese on top. And its perfect for broken noodles since you break them up anyway.

I only make regular lasagna now if having a party.

 

[Katieinwonderland]

I make a pretty good chicken lasagna...I don't really measure ingredients (I'm not much of a cook really, I just throw everything in together!):

I cook a couple of skinless chicken breasts in butter in a skillet, together with a handful of chopped onions, a tablespoon of minced garlic and a pinch of Italian seasoning. Once it's browned, I add a chopped red bell pepper or two and then stir in a regular sized tub of Philadelphia cream cheese and about a cup of grated cheese, whatever I have on hand, either sharp NY cheddar or mozerella or swiss.

Then I just layer the chicken mix with lasagna noodles and homemade red pasta sauce (made by my Italian MIL, not me! She thinks I don't feed her son enough, so she sends her sauce in huge batches once a month! I would be insulted but it's sooooo good!) Then I top it with another layer of grated cheese and bake it (covered) for about 45 minutes, uncovering it for the last ten minutes so the cheese gets to be crispy!