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The Best Damn Beef Lasagna

(In my Unbiased Opinion)

By Joseph WillsonPublished 4 years ago 6 min read
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The finished product....in all it's glory!

Yup, that's my dinner...

Looks ooey, gooey delicious eh?

Well first I need to tell you a little secret before I give out this recipe that I have been modifying and varying for oh so many years now. Originally it was my mothers recipe and I have added and taken away over the many years I have been making this at home... the little secret really isn't a secret at all if you know me. That being I am a Certified Journeyman Chef by trade. Therefore the recipe that follows, well the ingredient list, or measurements rather, may be a bit stark.

Do not misunderstand, I do still follow recipes, yet for most things that I may not have cooked in many years, solely just as a guide, more to see if I have all the ingredients or not. With baking as we all know, that's a different story. One must follow recipes for baking or said baking does not end up as such a nice end product. Baking is much more science based than cooking.

But anyway, on with the recipe, or lack thereof

1 to 1.5 lbs ground beef

1 large white onion- diced

I large zucchini- diced

1 red and 1 green pepper or any damn colour of pepper you desire- diced

2 lbs fresh mushrooms cut however in hell you please...

3-4 stalks celery- diced

Eggplant if you so desire...

As much fresh garlic as your system can handle

oregano, basil, sea salt, black pepper, lea+perrins, tabasco, paprika, balsamic vinegar, beef stock (optional), and any other seasonings that you may have a hankering for...it really is up the individuals taste buds.

Tomato sauce 1 to 1.5 750 ml cans approximately, but again it depends on how saucy or meaty your desired consistency remembering there are other liquid ingredients

1 500 ml ricotta cheese

I can cream of mushroom soup (Campbell's only-trust me on this one)

1 can tomato paste 5.5 ounce (the little can)

Oven ready lasagna noodles (unless you want to waste time to boil them first)

Fresh spinach (optional)

Any and all kinds of grated cheese, I tend to change it up every time as I always have 3 or 4 kinds of cheese on hand...one can never ever have too much cheese!

1 - 9 by 13 baking dish (even though this pan is not actually 9 by 13 if one were to measure it, it will be labeled as such-I prefer Pyrex as the glass dish cooks much more evenly) Metal (teflon coated) is also fine.

Okay. I think that's everything...

Now, in a large saucepan, I use a 5L stockpot,(this recipe yields about 4 L of sauce and you will not use it all when building the lasagna)- brown the ground beef and drain- set aside

While the meat is browning dice all of the vegetables as you see fit. I prefer a medium dice to have some uniformity when layering the dish when building.

In the same pan you have browned the beef that is now resting somewhere other than the pan, saute all your vegetables, adding them as per their denseness, onion and celery, then peppers and garlic, then softer veg like zucs and eggplant and mushroom. They only need to be cooked lightly remembering this dish will bake for minimum of 1 hour. Add all seasonings while the vegetables are finishing and before adding tomato product. Add tomato sauce and tomato paste plus return the cooked beef to the pot. If using fresh herbs add them after the tomato product. With dry herbs sauteing them before adding sauce will bring out their flavours while with fresh herbs this occurs when they are chopped so they can be added last. 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar can also be added now along with the lea+perrins and tabasco to taste. salt and pepper same thing....as for the beef stock, I always have beef stock concentrate in my fridge so will just squirt a little in for added beefiness. Again it's a personal preference and not necessary unless you really want to win friends and influence people with this dish. (Thank you Dale Carnegie) If you find the sauce is too thick feel free to add some water to thin, just not too much as there is other liquids still being added upon construction.

The pre-cooked model...stylin', cheesy and ready for the heat...

Now the fun begins...

Take that baking pan and for the sake of being easier to clean once you've gobbled up all the lasagna goodness, spray the pan with cooking spray liberally, (lots of cheese going in here soon) spoon a thin coating of the sauce on the bottom of the pan, enough to cover, try and avoid big vegetable chunks on this bottom layer. Next add a row of noods...I think it's 4 across lengthwise plus a piece on the end you will have to break off. Just throw the extra bits in anywhere, doesn't matter. Now another layer of sauce, thick and vegetabley as you like, then another row of the noods...now you need to open the can of mushroom soup, pour into a bowl with the 500 ml of ricotta cheese and mix them together thoroughly. This is the next layer. If you look up to the first photograph you can clearly see this layer in the middle of the dish. (the white part). This is the first part of the ooey-gooey. If you are adding spinach it can go on top of the ricotta mixture. Okay, now another layer of noods, then another layer of the tomato vegetable mixture and you should be at the top of the dish, if your dish is deeper, feel free to add another layer as you will have more than enough sauce to do this.

Right, we're in the home stretch now... get all the cheese out of your fridge- all of it!! grate as much damn cheese as you feel your guts and the pan can handle and just go nuts. I like to use a combination of old cheddar, extra old white cheddar and Monteray jack with jalepena pepper. I have also made this with Havarti and Gouda, Brie and just plain ole Mozzarella. On the top I also like to sprinkle some fresh Parmesan or Regianno cheese...

Pop her in the pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1 hour, and then check to see if the noodles are fully cooked (they should be but may need another 10 or so) You can do this with a meat thermometer or a fork or knife even. Make yerself and those other people drooling around you by now a nice salad and some fresh garlic bread and baby, you got a dinner to end all dinners.

Careful though, the cheese is very hot!

Enjoy...

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About the Creator

Joseph Willson

JP Willson is an accomplished chef who's worked in some of Vancouver and Victoria's most prestigious kitchens. Now as an author of two self-help books while living and working in Victoria, British Columbia. Life has become far from ordinary

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