Ellie's Extra Cheesy Lasagna

Submitted by Sheri Baby

"I found this awesome recipe from a website called Vintage Victuals. I modified it slightly to my tastes. It is absolutely delicious, found myself waking up for a midnight snack of the leftovers. I usually serve it with homemade garlic bread. You can make this recipe with either ground beef or turkey, I like to use the ground turkey because it is a bit healthier than the beef. I always make this with the ground turkey and no one ever knows the difference."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Serves: 8-10

ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb ground sausage
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 8 large garlic cloves, minced
• 48 ounces pasta sauce
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons Italian spices
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 2 cups pre-shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 (9 ounce) package no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1⁄2 cup asiago cheese
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1⁄2 cup romano cheese
• salt
• ground pepper

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a large glass baking dish.
2. In a large skillet heat oil on medium and add the ground turkey and sausage. Brown meat until thoroughly cooked and then push all the meat to one side of the pan. On the empty side of the pan add the minced garlic cooking until fragrant, then mix in with the ground meat.
3. In a very large pot add the water and pasta sauce, heat on medium for a couple minutes then add the meat. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring consistently.
4. While the sauce is simmering, in a large microwaveable bowl soften the cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. Stir in ricotta cheese until blended. Add the eggs, seasoning, parsley and 1 cup of the mozzarella and stir until well blended.
5. Now to assemble the lasagna, pour a thin layer of the sauce mixture on the bottom of the dish, then layer the noodles over the sauce. Spread the cheese mixture over the noodles, a thick enough of a layer to just cover the noodles. Then again place the sauce over the cheese, then add the noodles, and then the cheese. And then finally one last layer of sauce, noodles, and then cheese. Then add the rest of the sauce in a thin layer over the cheese. Top the sauce with the Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, and Mozzarella, sprinkling over the sauce.
6. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes covered with foil. Then remove the foil and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese on the top is well melted and golden brown.

Reviews

[Sydney Mike]

Made this whole pan of lasagna, even though there were just 2 of us, & after we had our meal, I let it cool down & cut it into 2-serving portions for the freezer! Loved this lasagna, as much for the combo of cheeses as anything else! I did make it with the turkey & a mild Italian sausage, & that was absolutely wonderful! Loved every bite of it & will be keeping this recipe around! Thanks for posting it! [Made & reviewed for one of my adoptees in this fall's round of Pick A Chef]

 

[Chef Buggsy Mate]

Made this for dinner tonight and I have to admit my favorite addition was the cream cheese....something I have never seen in a lasagna recipe before. It changed the texture of the ricotta cheese making it very smooth. Normally I omit ricotta from my lasagna when I make it because no one in the family really cares for its texture. I used the Italian seasoning and then added a bunch of fresh basil and oregano to the sauce as well. I will be adding this recipe to my pasta cookbook so that I have it handy for church potlucks and company dinners Thanks for sharing your recipe Sheri. Made and reviewed for Spring 2011 PAC.