Lasagna Night

MMM, Lasagna, my favorite dish. So on a high that comes with your favorite team winning a game (Game 3, Seadogs won, 6 - 4 last night!) i decided to create a lasagna for dinner tonight. This recipe i pulled out of an old Kraft What's Cooking magazine. It's super easy and fast, a perfect weeknight meal!

5 simple ingredients to perfect lasagna:

So, here we go, Quick Lasagna!

Brown 1 Lb hamburger in a large pan, drain if necessary. If you wish to add veggies (green pepper, onion) to be cooked, now is the time to do it.

Measure out 3 cups pasta sauce into a large bowl, if your jar does not have quite 3 cups (as mine usually does not) i top it off with a bit of salsa, add 1 cup water, stir. Put a thin layer of this on the bottom of your pan (to prevent sticking) then add hamburger, veggies if desired, and a handful of cheese (about 3/4 cup) to the rest. Mix Well.

Layer ready to cook noodles (about 12) (NOT the kind you have to boil) and sauce mixture in your pan, usually about 3 layers. Top with about 1 + 1/2 cups cheese. I don't measure the cheese, i just use the whole package. Usually i stick some Parmesan and Mozzarella in the sauce, and Cheddar on top, or vice versa but use whatever is on hand!

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and a knife can go through the center. I usually cover it with tinfoil the first 15 minutes, just because i prefer the cheese to be less brown.

~ DON'T forget the water, it is what cooks the noodles!!! ~

So, after 30 minutes in the oven, here it is:

Enjoy your pasta night with a quick garlic bread. If i don't have any on hand, i just spread some garlic butter on some regular sandwich bread and throw it in beside the lasagna in the last 8 minutes or so. Garlic butter is something i always have on hand because i use it in everything! I use it in mashed potatoes, or to grease a pan if i am making something savory (this recipe does not require it, though).

A tip for making lasagna (i make it a lot, so I've figured them out along the way) : If you have to cut the noodles to put them in the pan, switch sides that the cut ones are on with each layer, it will make it so much easier when it comes time to slice and serve (it sticks together better).

This recipe freezes very well, too! That is why i make it so often, i make a large one on the weekend, and freeze leftovers for weekday lunches! I wrap them individually in tinfoil, bring it out in the morning, unwrap while frozen and stick it into one of my plastic containers. By lunchtime, it is thawed and all i have to do is microwave enough to warm it! Yum!

Enjoy!