Southern Lasagna Recipe

I can't resist giving everyone my favorite Lasagna Recipe!

This recipe was passed down to me from my grandmother, and is a fairly simple, yet flavorful dish to eat with the family!

For this Lasagna recipe, you will need the following items.

First preheat your oven to 400* and make sure you have collected a 3 inch deep baking dish of any size, a large mixing bowl, all ingredients, a large saucepan, and a measuring cup. A wooden spoon will help, and you will also need a pot of boiling water for your noodles, unless you bought the no boil (just cook) noodles. (this is a great time saver, and simplifies creating your layers, as you do not need to fight with hot wet noodles) Using no boil noodles for your Lasagna will not change the taste in anyway!

I always collect all my items I will be using before I start, Preheat the oven to 400* and start preparing your ingredients! This makes for a faster overall cooking time! Lasagna is a dish that can take up to an hour or more to prepare, before it ever even hits the oven, so keep that in mind!

Ingredients

• 1 Clove Garlic or 1 Tablespoon powdered
  
• 2 Red Bell Peppers
• 1 Large White Onion
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 Box Lasagna Noodles
• 1 Package Hormel Pepperoni
• 1 & 1/2 Jars Ragu Meat Spaghetti Sauce
• 1/2 Pound Jimmy Dean Sausage (Sage)
• 1/2 Pound Beef Chuck
• 2 Medium Tomatoes
• Ricotta Cheese 16 0z.
  
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese (1 Bag Shredded)
• Provolone Cheese (1 Bag Shredded)
  
• Cayenne Pepper (2 Ts Spoons)
  
• Tobasco Hot Sauce (1 Tbl Spoon)
  
• Sugar (3 Tbl Spoons)

For this step you need the following items.

• 1/2 Clove Garlic
• Large Skillet
• Diced Onion
• Sausage
• Beef

Using 1/2 pound of sausage, and half pound of beef, lightly salt and pepper and brown over medium heat, with onion and garlic. When your meat has browned, add it to your lasagna sauce.

AH! Its in the sauce! Lasagna Sauce is the most critical part of the dish, right after assembly! Lasagna Sauce should not be too runny, nor should it be to thick. The best way to get a good sauce is to start with a thicker sauce (like Ragu) and then add tomatoes, or tomatoes sauce until you reach the desired consistency.

• For this step you will need.
• Ragu Sauce
• Salt/Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper
• Finely Diced Red Bell Peppers
• Finely Diced Onion
• Sugar
• Tomato
• Cooked Sausage and Beef
  

Bring those ingredients together in a large saucepan over medium heat, with a lid. Allow the sauce to simmer and the vegetables to become soft. Stir often, and add sugar last (once water has accumulated over the sauce, or after the vegetables have softened)

You will need your lasagna noodles, and ricotta cheese.

I like to add spices like sage to my ricotta, If you would like to do this simply add 1-2 table spoons to the ricotta, and stir well. Before you assemble your lasagna you might want to take your no bake lasagna noodles, and put a scoop of ricotta cheese on the back of them, being liberal, and spreading well. This makes it easier when you are assembling all the layers in the next step. However you decide to do it just remember that the ricotta should always be between noodles, making up the inside of the lasagna. I usually try to put on layer right under each layer of noodles.

Now here comes the fun part, assembling lasagna is the final step before cooking, and is where you will start to see the fruits of your labor.

For this step you will need the following.

• Baking Dish
• Ricotta Cheese
• Cheddar Cheese
• Provolone Cheese
• Lasagna Sauce (from step 2)
• Lasagna Noodles
• Pepperoni
• Sausage
• Beef
• Salt/Pepper

Starting at the bottom of your baking dish, place about 1/2 cup of sauce and spread evenly. Then you will add a layer of noodles, followed by a layer of ricotta cheese, a layer of shredded provolone, and pepperoni. Cover lightly with Lasagna Sauce. Then for the next layer, you repeat, adding Noodles, then ricotta, then provolone, Pepperoni, and a layer of noodles covered in lasagna sauce. Repeat until all ingredients are used, or until your dish is full.Cover the top of the lasagna with the shredded cheddar cheese, and place in oven on 375* for about 30-50 minutes (depends on your noodles, no bake noodles take approx 25 minutes, and boiled noodles can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes)

*TIP* If you start on the bottom layer with little sauce, working your way to the top layer being more liberal and adding more sauce on each upper layer, You will get better layers, and less soupy lasagna!

There you have it! Mild Southern Lasagna! If you prefer your lasagna less spicy, cut out the cayenne pepper, and tobasco sauce, when you are preparing your lasagna sauce!