Loaded Meaty Lasagna

Meat, Meat Please

First, let me say, this is in no way an 'authentic' Italian recipe. It does contain many Italian ingredients and flavors, but ya not gonna find it in the Encyclopedia of Regional Italian Cuisine. Like most of my recipes, I just made it up.

This one is for the folks, ya know who you we are, that like a lot of meat in casseroles. Yup, those 'meat and potato' fellers that line up at diners across Americana eateries. Layered in this easy-to-make chunky pasta sauce is four kinds of meat not to mention (okay, I will) five vegetables and a blend of yummy cheeses. Go ahead, loosen up your belt, roll up your sleeves and make a meal out of this one. Enjoy!



Loaded Meaty Lasagna
My 'Kitchen Sink' casserole using a no-boil pasta method
about 6-8 servings

1 pound lean ground beef
1 -8 oz button mushroom, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/5 green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic toes, minced
1 celery  stalk, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 -24 oz pasta sauce
1 -14.5 oz fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon from an 6 oz can tomato paste
1 -8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 cup red wine
1 tablespoon Italian seasonings
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
9 Lasagna noodles from a 16 oz box
1 -16 oz large curd cottage cheese
2 -8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup diced precooked bacon
2 links of precooked Italian sweet sausage, sliced
3 oz turkey pepperoni slices
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Brown the ground beef in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook tossing 'em around until tender. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, celery, carrots and cook until onion is translucent. Stir in the pasta sauce, the diced tomatoes (liquid too), tomato paste, sauce and red wine stirring to incorporate the paste. Stir in the seasonings. Cover with lid and allow mixture to come to a simmer, then cook for 45 minutes with lid ajar. Stir often.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, mix the cottage cheese with 8 ounces shredded mozzarella. I like to add a couple of turns of black pepper. Put aside.

Spray a lasagna pan or a 13x9x2-inch baker with cooking spray. Cover the bottom with the meat sauce. Place 3 of the uncooked lasagna on top of the sauce. Spoon half of the cheese mixture on top and even out. Add 1/3 of meat sauce, half of the bacon, half of the sweet sausage slices and pepperoni. Add anther layer of lasagna followed with the remaining cheese mixture. Add another 1/3 of the sauce, repeating with layering the remaining meats. Place the last layer of lasagna, the last of the meat sauce and the remaining 8 oz mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top. Cover with foil.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. Remove and let rest 10 minutes before cutting.

Note: When ever I am layering as such, I always do a listing so I won't get lost. This one goes something like this. Start from the bottom.

2 cheeses
1/3 meat sauce
3 lasagna pasta
1/2 meats
1/3 meat sauce
1/2 cheese mixture
3 lasagna pasta
1/2 meats
1/3 meat sauce
1/2 cheese mixture
3 lasagna pasta
a little meat sauce

Comments

  1. Authentic or not, it looks delicious.

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  2. Who cares if it's not authentic? It's the taste and look that counts and that is one mighty great looking slice of pasta!

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  3. I totally agree with Big Dude... I would love to be having a dish of this right now.. looks wonderful!

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  4. Lawd. What a lasagna! Trying to keep hubby from seeing this recipe as he'd want me in the kitchen right now fixing one for him. :-)

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  5. Dear Drick, I think that this is an honorable and delicious version of lasagna that any Italian would be proud to plate!!
    I love the imagination and dedication to taste and happiness that went into creating this dish!
    Thank you for visiting my blog Drick. I hope that you will visit again soon. Blessings for a nice weekend. Catherine

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  6. LOL! You're right about the authenticity part, but this does look awfully tasty! A real man's dish, if you'll pardon the expression....

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  7. Trying this tonight, Stick!

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