LASAGNA
Beef or Chicken Lasagna
Ingredients
9 pieces of no boil lasagna noodles (like Barilla)
1 14 oz. bag of frozen grilled eggplant slices (like Green Giant)--optional
1 16 oz. bag of shredded, part-skim mozzarella cheese
6 oz. or about 3/4 cup of shredded mild cheddar cheese
3 TBS olive oil
1 pound ground beef or chicken
4 cloves of fresh, minced garlic
1 tsp of onion powder
1 ½ tsps. of Italian seasoning
2 tsps. of ground coriander
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of red chili powder or crushed red pepper
2 tsps. of salt
1 tsp of sugar
2 heaping TBS. of tomato paste
2 tsps. of lemon juice
2 cups or 16 oz. of any tomato basil pasta sauce
1 cup of water
dried basil (for sprinkling the top of the lasagna)
Method:
For the meat sauce, pour the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Then add the minced garlic and fry for a minute to infuse the oil before adding a pound of ground beef or chicken. Be sure to break up the meat to prevent large clumps in the sauce.
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As the meat is browning, add the onion powder, Italian seasoning, ground coriander and cumin powder, red chili powder or crushed red pepper, salt and sugar. These seasonings add great flavor to the sauce and it is important to fry them with the meat for a couple of minutes to really bring them out before adding the tomato paste.
Continue to fry the tomato paste with the meat for a couple of minutes. This will intensify the tomato flavor and make a tasty sauce. Adjust the heat to prevent burning. Then, add the lemon juice to balance out the flavors.
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Next add a good tomato basil pasta sauce of your choice into the pot. I also like to add about a cup of water to the sauce at this point. If you have an empty sauce bottle, add the water to it and shake it up to get all of the tomato goodness into the pot and prevent waste. Cover the sauce and cook on a very low simmer for ten minutes.
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To assemble, I use no boil noodles and I layer in some grilled eggplant, which is now available in my grocery store. This is totally optional but is a great way to add some nutrition to this pasta dish. If you are going to use the frozen, grilled eggplant, put the slices in the microwave for a couple of minutes to soften them up. I usually use the whole bag when making the lasagna.
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So, in a greased baking dish (about 9x13 or slightly smaller), add some of the meat sauce on the bottom followed by three pieces of the oven ready noodles. These will expand a bit in the oven so need to get exact edge to edge coverage (once the lasagna is fully assembled, you can fill in any gaps with extra cheese!)
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Next add some sauce on each noodle and place half of the eggplant slices on top. Add a little more sauce on top of the eggplant, followed by some mozzarella cheese. I also like to add a little bit of shredded mild cheddar cheese. I love the color contrast and deeper cheese flavor.
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Now repeat this for the next layer and then for the third and final layer, I just use the rest of the meat sauce and the remaining cheeses. Sprinkle on some dried basil on top and cover with foil that has been sprayed with some oil on the inside. This will prevent the cheese from sticking to the top. It is still a good idea to leave some room between the foil and the cheese when covering the tray so you leave intact that lovely cheesy top that is the best part of lasagna.
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Place the tray in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for about 50 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is lightly brown in some areas and you get a golden, cheesy crust on the edges.
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Cool for a few minutes before slicing and serving. This lasagna is an all time favorite and comes together quickly. The meat sauce is very versatile and can be used for spaghetti, baked ziti or even served over rice!
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I hope you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as mine!