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Easy Peasy Lasagna!

I make lasagna several different ways.  My oldest recipe that I have made for years is the good old fashioned way, with homemade sauce, boiling the noodles...the whole nine yards.  I do that one when I have all day to piddle with it because I like to start the sauce early in the day and let it sit on the stove and cook on very low heat for several hours.  I will make that one and put the recipe on here in the future.

The lasagna recipe I use the most is this really easy, shortcut method. It doesn't require hours of preparation, but it tastes like you worked all day on it.  It turns out amazingly good to be so simple.
Once you make it this way, you won't go back to the old way more than likely.



Here is what you will need:

1 lb ground beef or 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb sausage
1 large jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 egg
32 oz. carton Ricotta cheese
3-4 cups mozzarella cheese
2 cups Parmesan cheese
6 slices provolone cheese
1 Tbs chopped garlic
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 Tbs basil
1 tsp  Good Nature's Seasoning
1 cup water
12 no boil lasagna noodles


1 lb ground beef or 1/2 lb ground beef and 1/2 lb sausage, 1 jar or can of your favorite pasta sauce, 32 oz ricotta cheese, 1 egg, chopped garlic, chopped onion, no boil lasagna noodles, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, sliced provolone cheese, basil, sugar, and Nature's Seasoning.



Brown ground beef, chopped onion and garlic in skillet breaking it up.  Once browned drain the grease off of it.


Add pasta sauce, 1 tsp of Nature's Seasoning or just salt and pepper, 1/2 Tbs. basil and
1 Tbs sugar.  If the sugar seems odd you can leave it out but it gives any tomato based food a better flavor.  I think it's the one ingredient that makes my sauce taste better.  Add a cup of water and stir all of this together.  This might seem a little watery but you will need that liquid for the noodles since you don't boil them.  Cover and let simmer while you mix the cheese filling.


Break the egg in a bowl big enough to hold all of the cheese and beat it up.



Add the ricotta and mix it well with the egg.



Add 3 cups mozzarella cheese and 1 cup Parmesan cheese.  Mix all together.


Now start to layer in the lasagna pan you sprayed with cooking spray.  Ladle about two cups sauce on bottom.


Next four lasagna noodles overlapping slightly (do not precook these).


Put a layer of sauce over the noodles and then put good size dollops of the cheese mixture over the sauce.


Continue layering with noodles, sauce and cheese three times.  On the last cheese layer, before you put the noodles on top, place 6 provolone slices, then the noodles and a last layer of sauce.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and a cup of mozzarella cheese. Cover tightly with foil.  I like to use the no stick Reynolds wrap for this, but if you don't have that just spray a sheet of regular foil with the cooking spray.  It keeps it from sticking to the cheese layer.  Place it in the oven, set at 350 degrees  for 50 minutes.  Take the foil off and place it back in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the top is nice and slightly browned.



Remove from oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes.  It will cut and serve much better if it sits for this time.









42 comments:

  1. Made 2 pans of this tonight. One for my son's family and one for me... YUM!! Delish, and EZ to make...

    Thanks for the recipe!!

    Nancy

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    1. Thanks will try xoxo

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    2. I have learned a secret to this... add a couple Bay leaves.... :)

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    3. With the bay leaves do u crush them

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  2. Gonna do this one!!! Thanks Loved all the pictures! Jackie

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  3. gonna try this it looks so yummy!

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  4. On top of ingredients you states 32 oz Ricotta cheese then on the bottom you state 16 oz Ricotta cheese. Which one is it please? Thank you

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    1. If you like it use the 32, I always add more of all the cheeses, plus on top layer sprinkle a lot of parsley flakes to keep foil from sticking, use ground Italian sausage mild or hot or both 50/50, instead of grnd.beef, if you like veggies in it too, add one or 2 boxes of chopped spinach thawed and wrung out add on top of sauce...

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  5. Thank you for catching that. It should be 32, I meant to say 2 16 oz. cartons.

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    1. wonder what could be exchanged for the pasta sauce. anybody try this with pesto sauce?

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  6. The sugar cuts the acid in the tomato sauce. What is Good Nature's seasonings? and where can I get it?? Thank you this sounds delicious and want to make some for my family!!! I live in northeast Ohio.

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  7. What size pasta sauce? It doesn't say! Thanks. :)

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  8. You use just the regular size sauce, I think it's 24 ounces.

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  9. Have been making a very close variation of this for years. Now there are "no cook" noodles but you can use regualar lasagna noodles. When using regular lasagna noodles, make a least a day in advance of cooking to give the water a chance to do it's magic. Then cook as you directed, covered with foil the first hour. Thank you for sharing. Also freezes very well.

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  10. "I'm going to try this. I could not find. "no cook" noodles so i bought reg noodles. After boiling noodle and drain them, do I place on a paper towel, and refridgerate over night? What is the preparation for the no cook noodles.

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  11. I use cottage cheese instead of the Ricotta cheese it gives it a little flavor

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  12. I make a receipe like this, got the recipe off the side of a "no cook" lasagne noodle box. That's what's so easy, you don't have to cook the noodles, and it tastes just as good as the regular kind that takes more work
    !

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    1. When i use the no cook noodles,they come out tough.

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  13. Made this, and it was awesome!! Made 2 pans & took one to my son's family. They loved it. thankx for sharing this!

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  14. How much chopped onion to I need, couldn't find the amount in recipe. Also what size baking dish?
    Thanks Janie

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  15. What size pan do I need and how many servings?

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  16. What size pan and how many servings?

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  17. i am a Tenn.cook was taught by one of best from Crossville Tenn.and have tried a few of ur recipes and have injoyed all i have tried juts wanted to say Thank You

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  18. Nature Seasoning is made by Morton, the salt company, I use it on everything!! Even eggs!! It is available in the spice aisle.

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  19. Made this for dinner tonight - easy and yummy! I am not a fan of cottage cheese, so I was excited to find a simple recipe that uses ricotta instead. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

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  20. This look I have been looking for a good lasagna recipe.

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  21. This looks easy I'm gonna try this.

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  22. Typically, lasagna is made in a deep 9"x13" pan or around that size.

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  23. Does this freeze well??

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  24. HOW MUCH CHOPPED ONION?

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  25. Geez people. This is not rocket science. Throw some chopped onions in the pan with meat and garlic. If you like a lot of onion, throw in a lot. If you don't...not so much.

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  26. Cottage cheese works well with lasagna in place of the ricotta. And I agree with the sugar helping out tomato based sauces.

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  27. I love the nature's seasoning, I use it on everything. Love the no bake lasagna noodles. It looks good and easy!

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  28. One medium size onion...

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  29. Glad to know they came out with the no cook noodles as I use to make a recipe pretty much like this (except the nature's seasoning. I will try it too. Thanks for sharing and I will share on my FB Page What's Cooking? Welcome to share things on it too! :)

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  30. My family doesnt like riccota or cottage cheese. Any ideas on how I could make this? Can I just use other cheeses?

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  31. I needed more than one can of pasta sauce to have enough for 3 layers. Added can of tomato sauce and extra seasonings. I would probably use less ricotta if I did it again. And I always add a little sugar to anything with tomato sauce. Adding a little tomato ketchup will add sugar & act as thickner.

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  32. I made this for the first time and it was delicious, just need more sauce for that many noodles and I used Italian sausage. Great recipe.

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  33. Try cabbage instead of noodles. Different take and super good!

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  34. Can this lassagne be prepared the night before, fridge then bake the next day? Concerned about the noodles, never used "no boil" before.

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