Michele's Baked Lasagna

Many years ago, I purchased R&F Brand Lasagna noodles.  I decided to save the recipe knowing someday I would not be able to find it. Sure enough, the parent company sold and today this brand no longer exists.   But I still have the recipe.  This recipe is my base. It is great as is, but I will enhance it, making it a little different each time.  I ALWAYS double the meat that is called for.

These are my ingredients.  I start with opening my wine, because I love to enjoy a glass as I cook.

Ingredients

1 lb. Lasagna noodles

3/4 lb. Ricotta (or full container)

2 eggs

4 Cups Meat Sauce - See below

1 lb. Mozzarella Cheese

4 Tbls or more, Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Pepper

Meat Sauce

1 lb. or More Ground meat ( 1/2 beef - 1/2 Pork)  

    (Boston Burger works great and I like to add Italian Sausage.)

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 Large Onion

1/4 Cup Chopped Parsley

1 Clove Garlic, chopped or pressed

1 Carrot, grated

1 Can Tomatoes, chopped or mixed in blender for a few seconds

1 (6 oz) can Tomato Paste

1/2 Cup Dry Red Wine

12 oz. water

1 Tsp Salt

1/4 Tsp Pepper

1 Tsp Basil

Sauté onion, parsley, garlic and carrot in oil. Add meat and brown.

Add tomato paste, wine and water, salt, pepper and basil.  Simmer 1 hour.

Boil Lasagna 10 minutes in 6 Qts. salted water.  Add cold water until noodles can be handles.  Do NOT drain.

In a separate bowl mix eggs and ricotta.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 Grease Baking dish and arrange the bottom with parallel layers of lasagna.  Add 1/3 of Meat Sauce, 1/3 Ricotta mixture, 1/3 thin slices Mozzarella.  Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.  Cover with another layer of each, and a third layer of each.  Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30 minutes. 

Serves 8

I chopped my onion, added grated carrots, and pressed garlic.

Saute in 1/4 cup Olive Oil

I added 1 lb. each of

  Harter House Ground Round (95%  lean)

and Harter House homemade Italian Sausage.

At Harter House, all of our ground meats are ground fresh daily from our own trimmings, to ensure the freshest product for your family.

Brown the meat and drain the fat and oil from the pot.

I like to use Bounty paper towels to soak up the liquid.

I added basil rather than parsley.  I love the flavor of basil and I find that fresh spices add an extra kick that always wins the prize.

Next I added chopped Roasted Red Peppers, tomatoes, and tomato paste.

I added 1 cup Cabernet Wine and 1 cup water.

(a little different from the original recipe)

              

                                                       

Now, we let it simmer for an hour.

Next, I've set up my work station to layer each ingredient.

A little oil on the Pampered Chef Stone Bakeware. 

Layer noodles, meat sauce, Ricotta and egg mixture, Mozzarella slices, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat for three layers.  Then bake in a 350 degree oven 30-45 minutes. (since I made a larger amount, I cooked it a little longer)  Then I broiled the lasagna just long enough to make the cheese bubbly on top.

Finally, I made a Cheesy Garlic Bread with English Muffins.  Melted butter and garlic powder sprinkled on muffins and topped with shredded mozzarella.  Broil for about 8 minutes, till the cheese is browned a bit.

Chicken Parmigiana

Tender pieces of chicken, topped with homemade tomato sauce and grated cheese, and then oven baked until the cheese is golden and melted. The tomato sauce and crumbed, uncooked chicken can be prepared in advance but it is best to cook the chicken and assemble the dish just before it goes into the oven.

Tomato Sauce
Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

1 tablespoon oil
1/2 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 can crushed/diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar, firmly packed
Salt and pepper

Crumbed Chicken
Approximately 1 lb skinless chicken breast fillets or tenderloins
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
1/3 cup plain flour
about 1 1/3 cups packaged breadcrumbs
about 1/2 cup oil, for frying

Cheese Topping
1 1/3 cups, firmly packed grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup, lightly packed grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a heavy-based medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until onion has softened but not browned. Add tomatoes, basil and brown sugar, increase heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for about 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce has reached the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside for 10 minutes, and then puree sauce in a blender or food processor.

If using chicken breasts, cut them in half horizontally. Cover chicken with a freezer bag and lightly pound with the flat side of meat mallet to flatten. © 

Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Coat one piece of chicken in flour and shake to remove excess. Then dip the chicken into the egg and milk mixture ensuring that all of the flour is moistened.

Then coat the chicken in breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to ensure crumbs adhere. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.

To fry chicken, heat some of the oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat. We cook the chicken in two batches using 1/4 cup of oil for each batch (the number of batches will be determined by the size of your frying pan and you'll need to divide the oil evenly between each batch). Fry the chicken in a single layer, without overcrowding the pan, until golden brown and cooked through.

Wipe the pan out with paper towels between each batch of chicken to remove any crumbs. This prevents the overcooked loose crumbs adhering to the next batch of chicken.

Drain cooked chicken on paper towels.

Place cooked chicken in a large baking dish and spread with sauce. Sprinkle with combined cheeses.

Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden.  Optional. sprinkle the chicken parmigiana with chopped parsley before serving.