Karens Lasagna Recipes

KAREN'S LASAGNA

Steps:

• Combine ground beef, Italian sausage (bulk or casings removed and crumbled), onions and garlic in a large dutch oven or large pot; saute until veggies are tender and meat is browned; drain any fat left in the pan.
• Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste to the meat mixture.
• Stir in the wine, diced bell pepper, bay leaf, basil, oregano and brown sugar.
• Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally; turn heat down to a simmer and cover.
• Simmer 3 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Taste often and add more spices to taste if needed, simmering after each addition before tasting again.
• Add the spinach, sliced mushrooms and red pepper flakes 1 hour before serving if desired.
• In the meantime, cook lasagna noodles according to the package instructions.
• Layer in this order in your lasagna pan: a thin layer of meat sauce, a layer of noodles, another thicker layer of meat sauce, a cup of cottage cheese, sprinkle on a thin layer of mozzarella, dust with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese and begin the next layer starting with the noodles; repeat until all sauce, noodles, and cheeses are used ending with noodles, an even layer of mozzarella cheese, dusted with Parmesan.
• Bake in a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven until cheese is melted and spotted with browned areas, about 30 to 45 minutes.
• Allow lasagna to set for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.

KAREN'S SKILLET LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown beef and onion in 4 quart Dutch oven over medium heat until no longer pink, drain.
• Stir in remaining ingredients except for the cheese.
• Heat til boiling, stirring occasionally, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10-12 minutes until pasta is tender.
• Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

KAREN'S LAZY DAY LASAGNA FREEZER MEAL

Steps:

• Assembly Directions:.
• In a large bowl, mix cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese , eggs, parsley, onion powder, basil and pepper until well blended; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together spaghetti sauce and cooked ground beef. In a 9x13-inch glass baking dish or (2- 8x8-inch pans) spread 3/4 cup meat sauce on the bottom. Layer 3 uncooked noodles on top of the meat sauce. Next spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture and 1-1/2 cups meat sauce. Layer 3 more uncooked noodles on top of the meat sauce. Spread with remaining cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining meat sauce. Pour water around the outside edges.
• Freezing Directions:.
• Place dish in a 2-gallon freezer bag. Or, if you want to wrap it in foil, cover the top of the lasagna with wax paper or plastic wrap and then the foil, because the acid in the tomato sauce will leave small holes in the foil. Label, seal and freeze.
• Serving Directions: Remove pan from freezer and thaw at least overnight in the refrigerator. Bake covered at 375°F for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. To bake from the frozen stage, add 30 minutes to the total baking time.