Naturally Lasagna

I  have eaten lasagna on many occasions but the one thing I have not done is try to make it myself. Lasagna is just one of those comfort foods, its filling and after one or two pieces you just get that satisfied feeling. I spoke with family and friends and checked the internet to see what people did to create their own lasagnas and I felt ready to create my own version of lasagna. I liked that I was able to add some of my favourite ingredients, like mushrooms, spinach and cheeses. The key I found was using a baking dish that is 11 x 8 in size as the lasagna noodles fit perfectly inside and don't be afraid to pack things down as you layer, you want to make sure that all your ingredients fit. I decided to go heavy on pasta sauce also as I wanted to make sure the lasagna was covered to avoid dryness. You can decide to substitute the cheeses I used but I find that cheddar and mozzarella work great with this dish so you do not have do unless you really want parmesan or ricotta.

Inspired by Kraft Recipes

MORE PASTA RECIPES
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PENNE WITH SMOKED SAUSAGE
PENNE WITH MEATSAUCE
SPAGHETTI WITH BABY CLAMS
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Naturally Lasagna Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 75 minutes  Servings: 8

Ingredients

 12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

1lb of ground beef

2 1/2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese

2 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup of spinach, chopped

1 1/2 cups of mushrooms, sliced

1 cup of green pepper, diced

1/4 cup of hot sauce

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 egg, beaten

1 jar (650ml) of pasta sauce with basil

1 jar (400ml) of pasta sauce with basil

1 1/2 cups of water

Directions 

Preparing Naturally Lasagna

1- Heat oven to 350F

2- Add olive oil and brown meat in large skillet on medium-high heat for 3 minutes set aside.

3- Mix together in bowl, 1-1/4 cups of mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese, spinach and egg until blended.

4- Drain meat and return to stove top, add 650ml of pasta sauce, mushrooms, green pepper, hot sauce and water. Stir until blended and cook 8 minutes set aside.

5- Spread 1-1/2 cups of meat sauce to bottom of baking dish.

6- Add 3 lasagna noodles, spread 1/3 of mozzarella mixture and 1-1/2 cups of meat sauce, repeat layers two more times.

7- Top with 3 more lasagna noodles, remaining meat sauce and pour jar of pasta sauce 400ml all over top so it pours down the side of baking dish.

8- Sprinkle remaining mozzarella and cheddar cheeses all over the top and press down if needed.

9- Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour, remove foil for last 15 minutes of baking, remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes before cutting into 8 squares.

10- Enjoy !!!