Lasagna is a family favorite consisting of only five quick ingredients… ground beef, pasta sauce, lasagna noodles, white sauce, and shredded mozzarella. This recipe can be made for potlucks and gatherings, on the other hand, anyone can make this, anywhere, anytime plus it’s the easiest thing to make before time too.
The most important part of this whole thing is the two kinds of sauces. It’s rich in flavor and texture.
The sauce is made with a mix of ground spices and cooked down to get a smooth and thick texture. Most sauces use crushed tomatoes as a base, however, I like to make my own of a kind. The white sauce makes it so much more flavourful and rich as it needs only 4 ingredients to make, Butter, Flour, Milk, and Parmesan cheese.
Lasagna can be made with different variations:
Meat: adding meat of any kind like diced chicken, turkey, beef or sausages and pepperoni.
Noodles: lasagna noodles are best and required for layering. There are several types of noodles apart from boiling sheets that are ready to use.
Vegetables: if you are a vegetarian, add in some mushrooms, celery, zucchini, bell peppers, or carrots for texture.
Seasonings: Oregano, thyme and red pepper flakes added bring out the Italian flavor.
Vegetarian: skip the meat and add in spinach, kale, or escarole to have a vegetarian lasagna.
The Lasagna Sheets
The Lasagna Sheets need to be boiled first before assembly. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into the water to prevent the sheets from sticking together. Transfer each cooked lasagna sheet Carefully into a large bowl filled with cool water to help stop the cooking process.
The Red Meat Layer
The meat sauce consists of ground beef and seasonings, including onion and garlic, olive oil, and tomato sauce, with fresh herbs.
Layering the Lasagna
Layer with a generous scoop of meat sauce on the bottom of the baking pan followed up with lasagna sheets, and top it with white sauce, and a handful of mozzarella cheese, repeating it three times. Cover the assembled lasagna with foil, and then pop it into the oven until the lasagna turns slightly golden brown.
BEEF LASAGNA
INGREDIENTS:
White sauce ingredients:
- Flour 2tbsp
- Milk 1 cup
- Heavy whipping cream 1/3 cup
- Butter 3tbsp
- Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp
- Garlic 2 cloves
- Mozzarella cheese 2 cups
- Salt 1/4 tsp
- Pepper 1/4 tsp
Red sauce Ingredients:
- Oil 2 tbsp
- Garlic finely chopped 2 tsp
- Ketchup 1 cup
- Chilli sauce 2 tsp
- Brown sugar 1/4 cup
- Salt 1/2 tsp
- Oregano 1/4 tsp
- Chicken cube 1
Beef Marination ingredients:
- Lean ground beef 1.5 pounds
- White onion diced 1
- Garlic cloves minced 5
- Fresh basil 1/4 cup
- Ground oregano 1/2 tsp
- Salt 1/2 tsp
- Ground black pepper 1/4 tsp
- 16 sheets lasagna
- Red chili flakes 1/4 tsp
- Oregano 1/4 tsp
INSTRUCTIONS:
Red sauce Ingredients:
- Heat oil and add garlic along with the remaining ingredients.
- Cook until thick.
White sauce preparation:
- Melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
- Add flour, keep stirring constantly, then add garlic and saute until flour and garlic are golden
- While whisking slowly pour in heavy cream and milk.
- Cook stirring constantly until mixture simmers and thickens.
- Add in spinach, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese along with salt and pepper.
Beef Marination ingredients:
- In a large pot add in ground beef. Use a spoon to break up the meat into small pieces. Add in onion and garlic and cook until meat is well browned, stirring constantly. Stir in fresh basil, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Pour in the red tomato sauce. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
Layering the Lasagna:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a deep 9×13 pan.
- To assemble, spread about 1 cup of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Place 4 lasagna sheets on top.
- Spread with 1/3 cup of white sauce mixture.
- Top with 1/4 of mozzarella cheese.
- Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella.
- Repeat layering two more times to create three complete layers.
- To finish, place a final layer of pasta, topped with another 1 cup of meat sauce to cover the pasta.
- Top with remaining mozzarella and sprinkle red chili flakes and oregano on top.
- Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes to allow the cheese to brown.
- Serve hot.
BEEF LASAGNA
Ingredients
- White sauce ingredients:
- Flour 2tbsp
- Milk 1 cup
- Heavy whipping cream 1/3 cup
- Butter 3tbsp
- Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp
- Garlic 2 cloves
- Mozzarella cheese 2 cups
- Salt 1/4 tsp
- Pepper 1/4 tsp
- Red sauce Ingredients:
- Oil 2 tbsp
- Garlic finely chopped 2 tsp
- Ketchup 1 cup
- Chilli sauce 2 tsp
- Brown sugar 1/4 cup
- Salt 1/2 tsp
- Oregano 1/4 tsp
- Chicken cube 1
- Beef Marination ingredients:
- Lean ground beef 1.5 pounds
- White onion diced 1
- Garlic cloves minced 5
- Fresh basil 1/4 cup
- Ground oregano 1/2 tsp
- Salt 1/2 tsp
- Ground black pepper 1/4 tsp
- 16 sheets lasagna
- Red chili flakes 1/4 tsp
- Oregano 1/4 tsp
Instructions
- Red sauce Ingredients:
- Heat oil and add garlic along with the remaining ingredients.
- Cook until thick.
- White sauce preparation:
- Melt butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat.
- Add flour, keep stirring constantly, then add garlic and saute until flour and garlic are golden
- While whisking slowly pour in heavy cream and milk.
- Cook stirring constantly until mixture simmers and thickens.
- Add in spinach, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheese along with salt and pepper.
- Beef Marination ingredients:
- In a large pot add in ground beef. Use a spoon to break up the meat into small pieces. Add in onion and garlic and cook until meat is well browned, stirring constantly. Stir in fresh basil, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Pour in the red tomato sauce. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
- Layering the Lasagna:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a deep 9×13 pan.
- To assemble, spread about 1 cup of meat sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Place 4 lasagna sheets on top.
- Spread with 1/3 cup of white sauce mixture.
- Top with 1/4 of mozzarella cheese.
- Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella.
- Repeat layering two more times to create three complete layers.
- To finish, place a final layer of pasta, topped with another 1 cup of meat sauce to cover the pasta.
- Top with remaining mozzarella and sprinkle red chili flakes and oregano on top.
- Cover loosely with aluminum foil.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes to allow the cheese to brown.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts
BEEF LASAGNA
Serves: 8 - 10
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 408 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 22.1 g | 33.8% | |
| Saturated Fat 9.9 g | 45% | |
| Trans Fat | ||
| Cholesterol 120 mg | 40% | |
| Sodium 751 mg | 31.3% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 27.4 g | 9% | |
| Dietary Fiber 2.6 g | 8% | |
| Sugars 5 g | ||
| Protein 25.1 g | ||
| Vitamin A 0% | Vitamin C 0% | |
| Calcium | Iron | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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