Lasagna!

I believe that everyone is allowed to have one food or another that they simply don’t have to like. One of my sons hates tomatoes and eggs. Another can’t stand rice. A daughter gags at raisins and peanut butter. For me, it’s pickles, mustard, and hot dogs. And in theory this sounds fine, until it’s time to make dinner—and at least one person doesn’t care for some part of what I’m fixing. I have to keep a mental tally of the few foods I make for dinner that everyone likes. The one in the top spot is lasagna.

I avoided it for years because it seemed so daunting to make, but a friend of mine clued me in to the fact that you don’t have to pre-cook the noodles. That simplifies things quite a bit. I like one-dish meals whenever possible. As my family has grown, I’ve had to make bigger and bigger portions so we have plenty to go around (though there are seldom leftovers). I’ve found that lasagna is actually not an exact science. I can just dump in whatever sounds good, as long as my spaghetti sauce to noodle proportions are correct (essentially one can to every 9-10 noodles), so that they soften enough to eat. So here’s the scoop on tonight’s version:

Ingredients:
2 cans (26.5oz) spaghetti sauce (Hunts is cheapest and runniest, which helps soften the noodles)
1 pkg lasagnae noodles (about 20 noodles)
Various cheeses
Hamburger (or other favorite meat) and/or various vegetables of choice.

Basically, it's easiest to think of lasagna as a noodle sandwich with sauce & noodles on top and bottom with extra fillings in between. First, I layer on about 1/3 of a can of spaghetti sauce in a 9 x 13 pan.

If you're cooking for a smaller group, you can cut the noodles & sauce in half--try a 7 x 9 pan distributing five noodles and half of one can on the bottom, with five more noodles and the remainder of the can on the top.
Next, place five dry noodles on the sauce (one may need to be broken to fit), and layer on another 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce. Add a second layer of noodles like the first, then spoon on the remainder of the can.
I like hamburger in mine, but I've made it without and it tastes good too. I'm also too cheap to buy ricotta cheese, so I've sometimes used cottage cheese that I've strained some of the liquid out of. But my favorite variation is a half-block (4 oz) of creme cheese. Hamburger cooks up beautifully in the microwave in about five minutes--a nice place to add in onions and peppers too--then I add the creme cheese directly to the beef so it is well mixed.

Then I layer it on top of the noodles & sauce.

I happen to have a five-pound bag of spinach in my fridge that we're trying to use up, so two or three cups worth (coarsely chopped) go into the lasagna. This is actually experimental for me--I haven't tried it with spinach before.

My family eats a lot of cheese. I always keep a five pound bag of shredded three-cheese mix in my fridge (that typically only lasts about ten days). I don't measure--I just take handfuls unil it looks like enough. I also sprinkled on some Parmesean.

Lastly comes the top of the noodle sandwich. Pour on 1/3 of the second can of spaghetti sauce.

Place five more noodles and another 1/3 of the sauce.

Then the last layer of noodles . . .

And the rest of the sauce.

Bake for 1 hour at 400, and it will look like this:

Which looks good, but not perfect yet. Topping the whole thing with a layer of shredded mozarella and putting it back in the oven for another five minutes gives it the final touch.

I actually loved the spinach and my kids did too. Surprise! Guess that ingredient is a keeper. We'll be trying out things like zuccini and yellow squash next. Never hurts to sneak in a few more vegetables. Especially with a dish that is more fat-indulgent like this one. The only disappointment was not having leftovers for lunch the next day. Guess I'll just have a spinach salad.

http://intuitivehomemaking.blogspot.com/