Mile High Lasagna Recipes

BEST CLASSIC LASAGNA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Make the meat sauce. Add beef and sausage to a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until meat is browned, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the fat from the meat. Return the meat to the skillet.
• Add the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon basil, and the black pepper. Stir until well combined. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the minced parsley.
• As the sauce cooks, make the ricotta mixture. In a large bowl, add 1 cup mozzarella, the ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the egg, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and 1/2 teaspoon basil. Stir until well incorporated.
• Cook the pasta al dente, according to it's package directions.
• Assemble the lasagna. In a 13x9 inch baking dish, add a very thin layer of meat sauce (about 1/4 cup). Layer 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, and 1 1/2 (level) cups of meat sauce. Repeat the layers twice.
• Add a final layer of the remaining noodles, meat sauce, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1/4 cup parmesan.
• Cover with foil that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil. Bake 15 more minutes.
• Let the lasagna cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting.

MILE-HIGH LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F
• Place a large skillet over medium-low heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons
• Cook the onion and the garlic, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes
• Turn the heat under the skillet up to medium-high and add the beef to the pan
• Cook it through, stirring frequently and breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon or potato masher
• Add the beef stock, tomatoes and basil to the pot and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Mash the tomatoes up with the potato masher or wooden spoon, bring the sauce up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes
• While the red sauce is simmering, place a medium-size pot over medium heat and melt the butter
• Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook the mixture for about 1 minute
• Whisk the milk slowly into the butter-flour mixture and cook until thickened
• Season the white sauce with salt, freshly ground pepper and the nutmeg
• Cover two loaf pans with a layer of foil for easy removal from the pan
• Ladle about 1 cup of the red sauce into the bottom of the first lined loaf pan
• Put down a layer of lasagna noodles, then top them with about a cup of white sauce and a handful of Parmigiano Reggiano (about 1/4 cup)
• Continue building the lasagna, alternating layers of noodle, red sauce, noodle, white sauce and cheese, until all the noodles are covered
• End the lasagna on a layer of red sauce and top it off with the grated provolone and some Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Repeat this process with the other loaf pan and the remaining sauce
• Cover the pans with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes
• Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes until the noodles are tender and the cheese is melted and golden brown
• Remove the pans from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes to let the lasagna set
• Pull the lasagna out of the pans by the edges of the foil, pull the foil down from around the lasagna and cut with a serrated knife
• Garnish each slice with fresh parsley

MILE HIGH LASAGNA FROM RACHAEL RAY

Steps:

• Preheat oven 375 degrees.
• Heat oil in large skilled med. low, cook onion and garlic about 10 min, till tender.
• Turn heat up to med. high, brown beef, add beef stock, basil and tomatoes breaking up with potato masher or wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to bubble, reduce heat and simmer 5 minute.
• Make a white or beshemel sauce in a saucepan: melt butter, stir in flour, whisk in milk. Cook over med. high till thick, stirring. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Layer Lasagna in loaf pans for the mile high effect. Meat sauce, Lasagna, white sauce and a handful of cheese, repeat till its a mile high!
• Cover with aluminum foil, place pans on baking sheet, Bake 30 minutes Uncover Bake15 more minutes.
• Notes: Sometimes I half this for my small family and only make 1 loaf pan. I have used dry seasoning, but I'm sure fresh are better. I also just use ground beef and my own canned tomatoes. Sometimes I add cottage cheese just sprinkled on. I really think the white sauce makes it good though!

MILE HIGH LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a frying pan brown your ground beef until cooked well.
• In a separate pan cook your onion and shallot in a little olive oil until golden.
• Using two large dutch ovens, pour your tomatoes inside and add your spices. Then add sugar. Mix well and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for about 3ish minutes, then reduce to a simmer.
• Add your tomato paste and stir in well. Now cover and allow to simmer for an hour, or up to about 2ish hours. Stir from time to time. Adjust seasonings to your taste as you go.
• Meanwhile put on 2 large stock pots of water, bring to boil. Pop in your noodles and cook to time specified on package minus about 2 minutes.
• Drain noodles but do not rinse.
• Remove bay leaves from sauce.
• Now in a large rectangular roasting pan, you can start to build your lasagna.
• First put down a thin layer of sauce, helps keeps things from sticking.
• Now add a layer of noodles.
• Now add a generous layer of sauce.
• Now add a generous layer of cheese.
• Repeat over and over until you get to the top of the pan.
• Do not panic if the noodles don't fit exactly. I leave a little space around the two ends and pour extra sauce in. That way you get a nice soupy extra bit to nosh on while people are munching on bread waiting for you to get this served up.
• Place in a 350 to 375 degree oven and cook for about oh, say, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove, and cut into it.
• Scoop the sloppy super tall ooey gooey goodness on the plates.
• Serve with a big old "I just made enough lasagna for a small army" smile!

MILE-HIGH LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375F. Place a large skillet over medium-low heat with 2 turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Cook the onion and the garlic, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat under the skillet up to medium-high and add the beef to the pan. Cook it through, stirring frequently and breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add the beef stock, tomatoes and basil to the pot and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mash the tomatoes up with the potato masher or wooden spoon, bring the sauce up to a bubble, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. While the red sauce is simmering, place a medium-size pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook the mixture for about 1 minute. Whisk the milk slowly into the butter-flour mixture and cook until thickened. Season the white sauce with salt, freshly ground pepper and the nutmeg. Cover two loaf pans with a layer of foil for easy removal from the pan. Ladle about 1 cup of the red sauce into the bottom of the first lined loaf pan. Put down a layer of lasagna noodles, then top them with about a cup of white sauce and a handful of Parmigiano Reggiano (about 1/4 cup). Continue building the lasagna, alternating layers of noodle, red sauce, noodle, white sauce and cheese, until all the noodles are covered. End the lasagna on a layer of red sauce and top it off with the grated provolone and some Parmigiano-Reggiano. Repeat this process with the other loaf pan and the remaining sauce. Cover the pans with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes until the noodles are tender and the cheese is melted and golden brown. Remove the pans from the oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes to let the lasagna set. Pull the lasagna out of the pans by the edges of the foil, pull the foil down from around the lasagna and cut with a serrated knife. Garnish each slice with fresh parsley.

MILE-HIGH MEATLESS LASAGNA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain lasagna noodles; rinse with cold water and drain well. Lay noodles in a single layer on a sheet of foil.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots, zucchini, red pepper and half of the garlic. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes or until crisp tender. Transfer to a bowl. Heat remaining oil in the same skillet. Add mushrooms and remaining garlic. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until tender. Gradually add spinach. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Using a slotted spoon, transfer spinach mixture to medium bowl; stir in basil.
• In a bowl, combine egg, ricotta, parmesan, salt and black pepper.
• To assemble pie, spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9-inch sprinform pan. Arrange three to four of the lasagna noodles over the sauce, trimming and overlapping as necessary to cover sauce with one layer. Top with half of the spinach mixture. Top with half of the ricotta mixture. Top with another layer of noodles. Spread with half of the remaining pasta sauce. Top with all of the zucchini-carrot mixture. Sprinkle with half of the mozzarella cheese. Top with another layer of the lasagna noodles. Layer with remaining spinach mixture and ricotta mixture. Top with another layer of noodles and remaining sauce (you may have extra noodles). Gently press down pie with back of spatula.
• Place springform pan on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for about 1 hour or until heated through, topping with remaining mozzarella cheese for the last 15 minutes of baking. Cover and let stand on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving. Carefully remove side of springform pan.

MILE-HIGH CROCK POT LASAGNA WITH ZUCCHINI OR SPINACH

Steps:

• Brown the beef, onions, zucchini, and garlic in 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet, stirring to break up meat.
• Stir in the oregano, basil, pepper, crushed anise seeds, sliced mushrooms, parsley, spaghetti sauce, and wine.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the beaten egg and the ricotta cheese, beating well until mixture is smooth. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, combine well.
• Grease the bottom and sides of the crock pot (I use cooking spray or butter).
• Layer about 1/4 of the meat sauce mixture in the bottom of the crock pot. Put a layer of noodles on top of that (break noodles to fit, overlapping is fine). Put about 1/3 of the cheese mixture and sprinkle with 1/4 of the mozzarella. Repeat with sauce, noodles and cheese for another two layers. Top with meat sauce and a little Parmesan and shredded mozzarella on top.
• Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours (4 hours on HIGH plus 30 minutes on LOW, in my 1990s 'older' model 4-Quart crock pot), or until noodles are tender.