COOKING IS DANDY WITH SANDY

The past few weeks we’ve been having some killer deals on ground beef so I have a freezer full of it. The first thing I made with my ground beef last week was some good ‘ol lasagna. My fam ♥ lasagna so that dish didn’t require much effort since I make it a lot. For those that have never made lasagna, here’s my recipe

LASAGNA

Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients:

• 2 lb ground beef
• Ricotta cheese or cottage cheese (16 oz)
• Spagetti sauce (2) 20 oz jars (you can make your own, but I don’t…easier for me hehe)
• 1 lb of your favorite cheese (I use cheddar/mozzarella or colby jack)
• Veggies (optional) I add pureed broccoli or pureed spinach to my spagetti sauce (simple way to get the kiddos to eat their veggies w/o them knowing)
• 1 box of lasagna pasta
• 1 tsp salt & 1/2 tsp pepper (to season ground beef)

Utensils:

• 11 x 7 x 2 in baking pan (may be larger or smaller depending on the servings you want to make)
• frying pan
• aluminum foil
• spatula
• large sauce spoon
• cheese grater (optional if you use pre-shredded cheese)
• large sauce pan or stew pot
  
• collander
  
• large bowl
• knife
  

Directions:

1. Steam & puree your veggies (if included) in a blender/food processor then add to your sauce
2. Boil the pasta in water until al dente then drain in the collander
3. Shred the cheese if not pre-shredded
4. Add salt & pepper to the ground beef and cook on med-high heat until completely browned (approx 10 min). Then set aside when done
5. Add some spagetti sauce to the bottom of the baking pan until bottom is completely covered. This will prevent the pasta from sticking to it
6. Add one jar of spagetti sauce to the cooked ground beef and mix together
7. Pour the other jar into a large bowl and dip your pasta into it to coat completely. Once coated, place the pasta into the baking pan side by side (should fit approx 3 rows)
8. Pour 1/2 of the ground beef onto the pasta and spread evenly with the spatula
9. Pour 1/2 of the ricotta cheese/cottage cheese over the meat and spread evenly
10. Add 1/3 of the shredded cheese on top and spread evenly
11. Pour some of the spagetti sauce on top, then add another layer of pasta over it
12. Repeat steps 7-10 for the second layer
13. Pour the rest of the spagetti sauce over the pasta and spread evenly
14. Top with the rest of the shredded cheese and cover the pan with aluminum foil
15. Set oven to 350° and let lasagna cook for 45 min – 1 hour depending on your oven & altitude
16. When lasagna is done, take the lasagna out (use pot holders!) and remove foil
17. Set oven to broil and place lasagna back in the oven for 3 min (makes cheese at the top a bit crispy…YUM!
18. Turn off oven, take out the lasagna (use pot holders!) and allow it to cool down for 15-20 min before serving

I made a side salad to go with our lasagna…the more veggies, the better I say!

Disclaimer: Only adults should be making this recipe as it involves handling/using a knife, stove and hot food. I am NOT responsible for injury, illness or death as a result of consuming or preparing this recipe…Sorry, but I have to throw this in here since now a days everything seems to need a disclaimer.