Homemade Lasagna

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Here is an old time recipe for Homemade Lasagna? With a bit of country humor?

Ingredients:

  • 12 lasagna noodles (or more, if you’re feeling real hungry)
  • 1 pound ground beef (or venison, if you’re feeling extra country)
  • 1 large onion, chopped (or a whole mess of green onions, if that’s what you got)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (or a couple of spoonfuls of garlic powder, if you’re feeling lazy)
  • 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes (or a big ol’ jar of homemade tomato sauce, if you’re fancy)
  • 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste (or a couple of spoonfuls of ketchup, if that’s all you got)
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil (or a handful of fresh basil, if you’ve got a green thumb)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (or a pinch of salt, if you’re watching your sodium intake)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or a good shake of cayenne pepper, if you like it spicy)
  • 2 cups ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese, if that’s what you prefer)
  • 2 eggs, beaten (or a couple of duck eggs, if you’re feeling fancy)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or a handful of shredded cheddar, if that’s what you got)
  • 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (or a mix of cheeses, if you’re feeling adventurous)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 °F
  2. Cook the lasagna noodles according to the package instructions (or just cook ’em until they’re tender, if you don’t feel like reading). Drain and set aside.
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef (or venison), onion (or green onions), and garlic until the beef is browned and the onion is tender. Drain any excess fat (or keep it in there if you’re feeling real country).
  4. Add the crushed tomatoes (or homemade tomato sauce), tomato paste (or ketchup), basil (or fresh basil), salt (or a pinch), and black pepper (or cayenne pepper) to the skillet with the beef mixture. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes (or until it smells good).
  5. In a separate bowl, combine the ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese), beaten eggs (or duck eggs), and grated Parmesan cheese (or shredded cheddar).
  6. To assemble the lasagna, spread a thin layer of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish (or whatever size dish you got). Place three cooked lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Spread a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles, and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese (or whatever cheese you like). Repeat the layers, ending with a layer of meat sauce on top.
  7. Cover the baking dish with foil (or an old pie tin, if you’re feeling resourceful) and bake in the preheated oven (or wood-fired stove) for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, and the lasagna is heated through (or until it smells so good you can’t stand it anymore).
  8. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Enjoy! And remember, if you’re feeling extra country, you can always top it off with a bit of sour cream or a sprinkle of hot sauce.

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