Lasagna has been a Christmas tradition of ours since the beginning. First, because it’s delicious and also probably because when Tom and I started out, it was one of the few things I actually knew how to make.
My first lasagnas were different than now. For starters, they didn’t have meat. I also didn’t make my own marinara, and honestly, some years, depending on what’s going on and how much time I have, I will use jarred marinara.
Over time, as I learned to cook, I changed it up. I added meat, did the homemade marinara, and increased the amount of layers. That’s one thing that is fun with lasagna, is you can easily change things up, as long as you have enough sauce and cheese! Add some spinach, some vegetables, a different kind of meat or none at all. You can add taco seasoning to your meat, substitute some cheddar, and add some jalapenos, maybe some corn and black beans, and make it a little Tex Mex, if you want to spice things up! It isn’t a cheap dish and certainly isn’t good for the waistline, so I really only make it once a year.
For Christmas, though, every year, we do a classic, extra cheesy lasagna. I normally make it for Christmas Eve dinner with fresh made bread, roasted garlic and olive oil, and a big salad. Christmas Day, we normally have brunch with family, and then for dinner — left over lasagna! This year, our Christmas plans with family were rescheduled for later in January due to Covid, so we have extra lasagna to freeze for later. I may start making an extra to freeze in meal portion sizes. It freezes up great. To serve later, I defrost in the fridge, heat up in the microwave, and serve with extra sauce and parmesan.
I know you’ll love it!
Krista’s Extra Cheesy Classic Lasagna
Notes
* Can be made ahead of time. Can also be omitted.
* * Can be made ahead of time. You can also substitute 3-5 jars of your preferred marinara.
* * * If you are using a regular 9×13 casserole dish, you can usually get about 3 layers, maybe 4. If using a deeper lasagna pan, you can get more. I like to decide up front and then divide out my meat, filling, and cheese by the amount of layers, reserving some sauce, mozzarella and parmesan for the top and sauce and extra parmesan for serving.
* * * * You can assemble the lasagna ahead of time, wrap with a layer of plastic wrap and then foil and refrigerate a day or two before cooking.
#lasagna #classiclasagna #cheesylasagna
Ingredients
- Meat *
- 1/2 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. Italian sausage
- Marinara * *
- (4) 28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, finely minced
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoon salt
- pinch of dried basil and dried oregano
- Filling
- 3 eggs
- 2 lbs. Ricotta cheese
- 1 cups Parmesan
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 – 1-1/2 boxes lasagna noodles (_depending_ on _how_ many _layers_ you _want_)
- 16-24 ounces Mozzarella
- 1 cup parmesan plus additional to serve
Instructions
- Cook the Meat, finely chopping, until browned and done. Drain grease. Set aside.
- Make the Marinara. Pour the tomatoes in a large bowl and crush with your hands. Pour a cup of water into the cans to get all the juices from the can. Set aside. In a dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add garlic, stir once, then add the tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, basil, and oregano. Simmer about 15 minutes until sauce begins to thicken and oil on surface is a deep orange. Stir and adjust salt and seasoning to taste. Set aside.
- Make the Filling. In a large bowl, mix three eggs well. Add in the ricotta, parmesan, garlic, flour, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Set aside.
- Cook the lasagna noodles per package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Assemble the lasagna. * * *
- Add approximately 1/2 a cup of marinara to lasagna pan with a rubber spatula.
- Layer: Add a layer of lasagna noodles across the bottom of the pan. Spread a layer of the filling across each of the lasagna noodles, covering the surface. Sprinkle a layer of meat evenly over the filling. Add mozzarella and parmesan and then add a layer of sauce evenly over all of it. Repeat until you have your desired number of layers, finishing with a layer of lasagna noodles. Add a layer of sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan.
- Cook. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours until a thermometer reads 155°F. Allow the lasagna to rest 15 minutes and serve with additional sauce and parmesan. * * * *
