Weekday Lasagna Recipes

WEEKNIGHT LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large 12-inch skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high. Saute the onion with 1 tsp salt until soft and translucent, 6 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add the ground beef. Break up the beef and cook until browned, 8-12 minutes. Add salt, red pepper flakes, dried basil, tomato paste, and tomato sauce. Simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, pepper, 1 tsp salt, and parsley. Mix all ingredients.
• Cook lasagna noodles al dente with six quarts of water. Once boiling, add ¼ cup of salt. Cook for 8-11 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Grease a 9x13 pan well. Star by layering ½ cup of the red sauce evenly on the bottom of the pan. This will be a very thin layer but helps the pieces come out of the pan when removed. Layer noodles in the pan, slightly overlapping. The noodles may not be long enough for the pan, so a noodle may need to be cut to fit. Spoon half the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles. Next, add a layer of half the meat and red sauce. Layer on half a pound of mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering, starting with the noodles. Finish with the remaining half pound of mozzarella cheese and reserved parmesan cheese.Note: At this point, the lasagna can be covered up tightly and frozen for up to one month. When ready to bake, let thaw in the refrigerator for eight hours.
• Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes, bubbling throughout the lasagna. Once baked, cool for 15 minutes before cutting into pieces.

WEEKNIGHT LAZY LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Drain noodles well; stir into cheese mixture., Spread 1 cup pasta sauce into a greased 11x7-in. baking dish. Layer with half of the noodle mixture and 1 cup sauce; layer with the remaining noodle mixture and sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese., Cover with greased foil; bake until heated through, 10-15 minutes.

WEEKDAY LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, water, tomato paste and spaghetti sauce mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally., In a small bowl, combine the egg, cottage cheese and Parmesan cheese. Spread 2 cups meat sauce in a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with three noodles, half of the cottage cheese mixture and half of the remaining meat sauce. Repeat layers. , Cover and bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Uncover; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

TWO SAUCE WEEKNIGHT LASAGNA BOWLS

Steps:

• Heat large pot of water to a boil, salt water and cook pasta to al dente.
• While pasta water comes to a boil, heat olive oil in a medium sauce pot over medium-high heat, add pancetta and render 2 to 3 minutes then add meat and break up as it browns. When the meat has begun to caramelize and develops a nice brown color, 4 to 5 minutes, add carrot, onion, 2 cloves of garlic, allspice, salt and pepper and a bay leaf. Cook 3 to 4 minutes more to soften onions and carrots bits then stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in wine and cook out 1 minute then stir in stock and reduce heat to simmer.
• While red sauce cooks, cut remaining whole clove of garlic and rub the inside of a medium sauce pot with it. Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk together a minute or so then whisk in milk and bring to a bubble, reduce heat then season sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg, thicken 8 to 10 minutes.
• Toss pasta with white sauce and 1/2 cup grated cheese. Serve pasta in individual bowls and top with a ladle of meat sauce in the middle of the bowl for mixing in. Garnish with parsley.

WEEKNIGHT LASAGNA TOSS

Steps:

• Brown meat in large saucepan; drain.
• Add next 5 ingredients; mix well. Bring to boil. Stir in noodles; cover.
• Cook on medium-low heat 10 to 15 min. or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Let stand 5 min. or until cheese is melted.

WEEKNIGHT MEXICAN CHICKEN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
• Spread 1/2 cup of salsa on the bottom of the prepared baking dish and cover with a layer of corn tortillas. Tear tortillas to fit any empty spaces and cover entire bottom of pan.
• Spread tortillas with 1/2 of the refried beans. Top beans with corn kernels, 1 cup of salsa, and 1 cup of Mexican cheese. Add a layer of corn tortillas. Cover tortilla layer with remaining refried beans, chicken, 1 cup of salsa, and 1 cup of Mexican cheese. Add a layer of corn tortillas. Pour remaining salsa over top of tortillas and top with remaining cheese.
• Bake in the preheated oven, 20 to 25 minutes.

WEEKNIGHT SKILLET LASAGNA

Steps:

• Brown meat and onion in large saucepan; drain fat. Add peppers, garlic, pasta sauce, water and dressing; bring to boil. Add noodles; stir, cover.
• Cook over medium-low heat 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are tender. Remove from heat, stir in ricotta cheese, sprinkle with italiano cheese blend; cover for 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

WEEKNIGHT MEXICAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook/crumble beef, onion, and garlic until beef is browned; drain well.
• Combine beef mixture, beans, chili powder oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper.
• Place layer of uncooked lasagna noodles in bottom on 13 x 9 baking dish.
• Spread half ot the beef mixture over the noodles.
• Top with more noodles and remaining beef mixture.
• Cover with remaining noodles.
• Combine water and salsa and pour over top.
• Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours or until noodles are tender.
• Top with cheese and bake uncovered for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Top with sour cream, green onions, and olives.