7 Pounds of Love Lasagna

My mom is Italian and every Christmas our dinner is Lasagna. It wouldn't be Christmas without it. The recipe can be used with store bought sauce if you don't make your own. This lasagna will freeze well, because at Christmas, we usually make 15- 9x13 pans for our family dinner, and freeze it for about a week so we aren't in a rush on Christmas day. I hope this is something your family will like. My family calls it the 7 Pounds of Love. This is a very traditional Italian dish, passed down by my grandmother who was from Sicily

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 12  lasagna noodles, boiled or 12  no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 (16 ounce) carton ricotta cheese
• 1 1⁄2 lbs cheese (I use a mix of Provolone, mozzarella)
•  marinara sauce
• 2  lbs  ground chuck, browned, drained and added to sauce
•  grated parmesan cheese, for topping

Directions

1. Spread 1 cup of the sauce/hamburger on the bottom of your 9 x13 pan.
2. Lay 3 noodles on top of the sauce.
3. With a teaspoon, place 12 dollops of ricotta cheese on the noodles (be generous!).
4. Spread 1/4th of the shredded cheese all over.
5. Spread 1 1/2 cups sauce all over (especially in corners).
6. Repeat for all layers EXCEPT the top layer.
7. The top layer is done in reverse - put your sauce first, then shredded cheese, then ricotta cheese.
8. Finish with a good spread of Parmesan cheese all over the top.
9. Bake in a 350 degree oven, covered with foil, for about 45 minutes or until bubbly.
10. Remove foil and finish baking for about 15 min more.
11. Will make 12 good size squares.