Easy Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Easy Lasagna with Meat Sauce

This is the first Lasagna recipe that I attempted about 12 years ago and the only one I have made since.  Of course, I made my own additions with the onions and mushrooms and I added an extra jar of spaghetti sauce to make it extra saucy!

 

I got the recipe from a Skinner Lasagna noodle box and it is super easy.  No need to boil the noodles…..The extra water in the sauce will cook the pasta!! It only takes about 15 minutes to put it all together.  It makes about 10-12 servings and if you are cooking for two, like me, you and the husband can eat on it all week long! 

 

I made this in honor of parent-teacher conference week last week because I knew that I was not going to get home until 8:20 two nights in a row, ugh!  With a big dish of comfort food like this lasagna, both hubby and I were fed for at least 3 nights and then we had eaten enough lasagna by that point!  It also freezes well if you have leftovers or if you want to freeze some portions for a non-cooking lazy night.  Enjoy!

 

 

                    Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)

1 package sliced mushrooms (8 oz.)

6 cups (about two 28 oz jars) spaghetti sauce

1-1/2 cups water

1-3/4 cups (15 oz container) ricotta cheese

2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella or Monterey jack cheese, divided

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 pkg (8 oz) Lasagna noodles, uncooked

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a 3 quart sauce pan, brown meat together with the onions.  Add the mushrooms to the meat and onion mixture when the beef is almost browned.  Allow the mushrooms to get soft and cooked through.  Drain the meat mixture.

 

Add spaghetti sauce and water; simmer about 10 minutes.

In medium bowl, stir together ricotta, one-half mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt and pepper. Set cheese mixture aside

 

 

Pour about 1 cup of the meat sauce on bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking dish.

Arrange 3 UNCOOKED pasta pieces lengthwise over sauce; ladle meat sauce over the noodles just to cover them (about 2 cups). I like to make sure and get plenty of meat and mushrooms into this part of process because I like to taste the mushrooms in between the lasagna layers.

 

Spread one-half cheese filling over sauce.

Repeat layers of lasagna, sauce and cheese filling.

 

Top with layer of lasagna noodles and remaining sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. I always add some extra cheese on top in addition to what the recipe indicates.

 

Cover with foil and bake 45 minutes.

Remove foil; bake additional 15 minutes.

Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

 

I like mushrooms and onions in my lasagna and I sometimes get the garden vegetable spaghetti sauce in order to add some chunkiness. 

What are some different things that you like to add to your traditional lasagna recipe?