Taste USA: Lasagna

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Worlds Best Lasagna

How to make Worlds Best Lasagna Recipe - It takes a little work, but it is worth it.

Serve: 12

Ingredients:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method:
In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Worlds Best Lasagna

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

How to make White Cheese Chicken Lasagna Recipe - A chicken and spinach lasagna with a creamy white cheese sauce. Great for any kind of pot luck. My kids love it.

Serve: 12

Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles
1/2 cup butter
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups milk
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse with cold water.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic in the butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and salt, and simmer until bubbly.

Mix in the broth and milk, and boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Season with the basil, oregano, and ground black pepper. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Spread 1/3 of the sauce mixture in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer with 1/3 of the noodles, the ricotta, and the chicken. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the chicken, and layer with 1/3 of the sauce mixture, spinach, and the remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.

Arrange remaining noodles over cheese, and spread remaining sauce evenly over noodles.
Sprinkle with parsley and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

Monday, January 18, 2016

American Lasagna

How to make American Lasagna Recipe - Making this lasagna a day ahead and refrigerating overnight allows the spices to meld, and gives it exceptional flavor.

8 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
12 dry lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Method:
In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat.

Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.

In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt.

Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Read More

Monday, November 23, 2015

Tuna layered lasagne with rocket

How to make tuna layered lasagne with rocket recipe

Serves 4

Preparation time 10 minutes, Cooking time 10 minutes

Ingredients:
8 dried lasagne sheets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch of spring onions, sliced
2 courgettes, diced
500 g (1 lb) cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 x 200 g (7 oz) cans tuna in water, drained
65 g (2½ oz) wild rocket
4 teaspoons pesto pepper
basil leaves, to garnish

Method:
Cook the pasta sheets, in batches, in a large saucepan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Drain and return to the pan to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the spring onions and courgettes and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the tomatoes, tuna and rocket and gently toss everything together.

Place a little of the tuna mixture on 4 serving plates and top each with a pasta sheet. Spoon over the remaining tuna mixture, then top with the remaining pasta sheets.

Season with plenty of pepper and top each with a spoonful of pesto and some basil leaves before serving.

For salmon lasagne, use 400 g (14 oz) salmon fillets. Pan-fry the fillets for 2–3 minutes on each side or until cooked through, remove the bones and skin, then flake and use in place of the tuna.

Tuna layered lasagne with rocket

Monday, February 23, 2015

Vegetarian leek and mushroom lasagna

How to make Vegetarian leek and mushroom lasagna recipe - Special equipment • large ovenproof freezer-proof dish. Poireau végétarien et lasagne aux champignons recette

ServeS 8

Ingredients:

½ cup olive oil

4 leeks, cut into ¼in (5mm) slices

1¼lb (550g) cremini mushrooms, sliced and 9oz (250g) cremini mushrooms, grated

2–3 red chiles, seeded and finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2/3 cup dry white wine

small handful of fresh thyme leaves

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

3 cups milk

12oz (350g) medium-sharp Cheddar cheese, grated

6 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1lb (450g) oven-ready lasagna noodles

2 tomatoes, sliced

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan, add the leeks, and sauté over low heat, for 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Stir in the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until they release their juices. Add the chiles and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the wine, raise the heat, and allow

to bubble for 3 minutes while the alcohol evaporates.

2 Stir in the thyme, then add the flour and mix well. Add a little ofthe milk, mix well, then add the rest of the milk and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add almost all the cheese (reserve some for the topping), remove from heat, and combine well. Add the coarsely chopped tomatoes and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.

3 Put a ½in (1cm) layer of the mixture in the bottom of a large freezer-proof baking pan, then cover evenly with a layer of the lasagna noodles. Pour in another layer of sauce and cover with lasagna noodles. Repeat the process until all the sauce is used up you need to finish with a layer of sauce. Top with the remaining cheese and the sliced tomatoes.

4 Let cool completely, then doublewrap the dish in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, remove the plastic wrap and place the dish straight from the freezer to an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 30–40 minutes or until browned on top and piping hot inside.

Vegetarian leek and mushroom lasagna

Beef and tomato lasagna

How to make Beef and tomato lasagna recipe - Lasagne de boeuf et tomates recette

ServeS 8

Ingredients:

6 tbsp olive oil

3 large onions, finely diced

1½lb (675g) lean ground beef

8 garlic cloves, chopped

3 tbsp tomato paste or purée

3 x 14oz (400g) cans diced tomatoes

2 tsp dried oregano

4 bay leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tsp pesto

3 tbsp butter

3 heaping tbsp all-purpose flour

3½ cups milk

10oz (300g) mozzarella, grated

1lb (450g) oven-ready lasagna

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat, add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until no longer pink. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and bay leaves, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat, then stir in the pesto and set aside.

2 Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, add the flour, and stir well. Add a little of the milk, mix well, then add ⅔ cup more milk, stirring vigorously until smooth. Add the rest of the milk, combine well, then bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes to ensure the flour is cooked. Remove from heat, stir in the mozzarella, then season with sea salt and pepper.

3 Pour ½in (1cm) of the beef sauce in the bottom of a large freezer-proof baking pan (or 2 medium-sized ones). Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles, then add ½in (1cm) more beef sauce, followed by a small amount of the cheese sauce and another layer of lasagna. Repeat until all the meat sauce has been used up. Make sure

you have enough cheese sauce for an even 5mm (¼in) layer on the top. Let cool completely, then double-wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months.

4 To serve, remove the plastic wrap and place the dish the dish straight from the freezer to an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 35–40 minutes or until browned on top and piping hot inside.

Beef and tomato lasagna

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Low Maintenance Lasagna

How to make Low Maintenance Lasagna Recipe - No need to boil noodles or align them perfectly in a pan! This slow cooker version of the family fave requires just 10 minutes of hassle free prep.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray

1 26-ounce jar pasta sauce

¾ cup water

1 15-ounce carton part-skim ricotta cheese

½ cup shredded carrots

6 regular lasagna noodles

1½ cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)

Method:

1 Coat a 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In a large microwavesafe bowl, stir together the pasta sauce and the water. Cover with wax paper and microwave on high for about 3 minutes. In the meantime, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and carrots; set aside.

2 Spoon ½ cup of the sauce mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker. Break half of the noodles and arrange over the sauce. Spoon half of the ricotta mixture over the noodles.

3 Continue layering in the following order: ½ cup mozzarella, half of the remaining sauce, remaining noodles (breaking them to fit), the remaining ricotta mixture, ½ cup mozzarella, the rest of the sauce, and the rest of the mozzarella.

4 Cover; cook on low-heat setting for about 3 hours, until the noodles are tender. Remove liner from slow cooker; let cool, covered, for about 20 minutes so lasagna will be easier to slice.

Nutrition per serving: 286 calories; 18g protein; 10g fat (5g saturated fat); 31g carbohydrate; 3g fiber; 397mg calcium; 1mg iron; 646mg sodium.

Low Maintenance Lasagna

Monday, January 19, 2015

Homemade Creamy Weeknight Lasagna

How to make Homemade Creamy Weeknight Lasagna Recipe - There is something so satisfying about pulling out a homemade lasagna from the oven for dinner. Get the kids involved in helping with all the great layers; they can sprinkle on the cheese and help spread the ricotta on the oven ready noodles. With just a little prep time, you will have the entire family at your fingertips when they peek inside the oven. Keep in mind that you can always use a premade sauce instead of my homemade one if you are short on time. Enjoy with a simple salad and Cheesy Garlic Toast for extra points from the family.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped white onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 pound lean ground beef
3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1⁄4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 pound part-skim ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
3⁄4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 9-ounce box oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into 18 squares

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the ground beef, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon of the pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat until browned. Drain the fat from the pan if necessary. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook, stirring, until hot, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer.

3. Add the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1⁄2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and the remaining 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper to a large bowl and mix until well combined.

4. Spoon 1 cup of meat sauce into the prepared baking dish. Place 3 oven-ready lasagna noodles over the sauce. Divide the ricotta mixture into 3 equal parts. Spread one-third of the ricotta evenly over the layer of lasagna noodles. Top evenly with 1 cup meat sauce, then top each noodle with 2 squares of the cream cheese. Repeat this process 2 more times and end with noodles on top (using 12 total lasagna noodles). Top the noodles with the remaining 1 cup meat sauce, then sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1⁄4 cup Parmesan cheeses over all. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until noodles are cooked through. Let sit for 15 minutes before serving. Read More