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Blue Ribbon Lasagne

The best classic lasagne ever! Lots of rich meaty sauce, layers of pasta and cheese. Easy to make and perfect for any type of gathering. 

Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword dinner, Lasagna, main dish
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
resting time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

For Sauce:

  • 1.5   lb ground beef or combo of ground beef and Italian Sausage
  • 2 onions chopped, about 4 cups chopped onions
  • 1-28 oz can tomatoes chopped
  • 1-15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 1-6 oz can tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons oregano dried
  • 2 tablespoons parsley dried
  • 2 tablespoons basil dried
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ground pepper

Pasta:

  • 1- 16 oz package lasagne noodles I don't usually use up the whole package

Cheese layers:

  • 1 lb cottage cheese or a mixture of half cottage cheese, half ricotta
  • 2 eggs beaten
  • 2 lb grated Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Instructions

  1. Brown meat, drain off all grease, discard. Add onions and cook until transparent. Stir in remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer two hours, or more. 

  2. Cook Pasta al dente (usually a minute or two less than package directions).  Drain pasta. Set aside. If pasta sticks together, you may toss with some olive oil. 

  3. Mix cottage cheese and beaten eggs and set aside. 

  4. Grease a casserole (9x13 or larger) pan. Place a small amount of sauce in bottom of dish.

To assemble:

  1. Using half of each- layer pasta, then meat sauce, then cottage cheese mixture, and  grated Mozzarella cheese.  Repeat with remaining halves. Sprinkle top with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until bubbly and completely hot in the middle. 

  2. If the lasagne starts to get too browned, cover loosely with foil. 

  3. Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting. 

Recipe Notes

  • I love this recipe for Blue Ribbon Lasagne for many reasons, among those are-  is it travels well and also freezes well. If you have to make this ahead and bake before you take it to go, bake completely at home, then spray a sheet of foil with cooking spray (such as PAM) on the side of the foil facing the lasagne.  This will prevent sticking of the foil to the cheese and keep your lasagna warm.  I like to travel with lasagna in a cooler that has been lined with newspapers. A plain old cardboard box works as well. Cardboard and newspaper as a liner will keep items hot for HOURS. The newspaper and cardboard act as insulation and really hold the heat. A cooler works this way as well.
  • If you are freezing the lasagne, simply put together in the dish and cover immediately with plastic wrap tightly and freeze. When ready to use, remove plastic wrap and take the lasagne out of freezer and let thaw on counter for about an hour before baking. OR remove straight from freezer and bake at 325 for about 1 1/2 hours. Check the middle of the pasta to make sure it is completely cooked.