October 15, 2021

The lasagne recipe we’ve all come to love

When I was a kid, my mom worked out of our house. She had her own drapery business in the basement and did a pretty brisk business honestly. She did jobs for Ethan Allen Home Galleries in Fargo when their usual crew couldn’t handle all the fussy ruffles and pinch pleats that were the order of the day. Looking back, I realize she had high hopes that I would one day take over her business but as my young, foolish heart was set on another path entirely, she quietly retired and some other talented seamstress took over her clients.

I begin this post in this way because for as long as I was living at home, and even after I (the youngest of six) was married and was bouncing my first son on my knee, she was there in that house, working away with her sewing machines, her hemming machine (yes folks, in the drapery business there’s a machine dedicated to hemming) and her rolls of fabric. She never complained about being down there (remember that 100 plus year old house story I regaled you with a while back? The basement was chilly year round. Anyway, mom had one day each week (two if she went into town for groceries on a Saturday) where she (probably gleefully) said to heck with the business and got out of the house. Dad was left with his lunch and an empty house while mom headed into town to go bowling. She was in a bowling league for years, and was pretty darned good too. I remember her bringing home a few goodies from the annual bowling banquet. (and doesn’t that have Midwest written all over it?!)

In my humble opinion, one of the best things mom ever brought home from her Tuesday bowling “escape” was this lasagne recipe. Her pal Shirley Critelli gave it to her and our family loved it from the get go. We didn’t get it all that often, but it was definitely one of the recipes everyone made sure they were home for when she made it. Back in those days, we viewed Lasagne as some sort of exotic meal that was reserved for special occasions, or for when there was a special on Ragu or Prego. LOL! The beauty of this recipe was, and still is, that it doesn’t require hours of preparation. Start to finish, it takes about 90 minutes and it feeds a crowd. A good thing when you have 6 plus people around the table. Plus, while it’s baking you can be off doing other Suzy Homemaker things… Ha!

Now, I know what you are thinking. No self respecting Italian would ever stoop to using Ragu, or Prego or heaven forbid, Velveeta, in their cooking, but I’m here to tell you this recipe is DA BOMB! Also, I’m not so sure good old Shirley was Italian. I think her husband was Italian and she was Scandinavian or German and she said to heck with the complicated fancy authentic sauce and substituted what she had. Kinda like my mom. This did all take place in North Dakota after all…

Anyway, I know you are going to love this recipe. I’ve served it for years to family and friends and we even used it for a charity Ronald McDonald House dinner a few years ago. The leftovers were minimal. Serve it up with some warm garlic bread and a fresh side salad and you have a hearty meal. Enjoy, and if you have leftovers, a minute or two in the microwave is all it takes to warm it up another day. Or, freeze the leftovers and pull them out when you’re having one of those “I don’t wanna cook” days.

10-12 slices

Mom's Lasagna

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Additional Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cheesy, flavor packed and delicious, this recipe is a family favorite.

Ingredients

1-1./2 lbs lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 jar (64 ounce) Prego
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
12 slices Velveeta or enough to cover one 9x13 layer
9 lasagne noodles, cooked per package directions

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.
In a large stock pot, bring water to boil. Add lasagne noodles and cook per package directions.
In a separate pan, brown ground beef and onions then, drain excess fat
Add Prego to beef and onion mixture and stir to combine. Turn off heat.
Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
Drain noodles, but leave a little water in the pan so they don't stick together.
Ladle a few scoops of sauce in the bottom of the pan; just enough to cover.
Add one layer of noodles (3 noodles per layer)
Add a layer of Sharp Cheddar and Mozzarella cheese (approx. 1 cup of each)
Add another layer of meat sauce
Add a layer of noodles
Add a layer of sliced Velveeta
Add another layer of sauce
Add a final layer of noodles
Add another layer of sharp cheddar and mozzarella
Finish with a final layer of sauce
Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes
Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes
Remove from oven and let stand 15 minutes before cutting

Notes

Letting the lasagne rest for a few minutes will make cutting and serving so much easier.

For gluten free diets, substitute gluten free noodles. Barilla no-bake noodles are a good alternative.

This recipe can be made dairy free as well. I've had good luck with dairy free cheese though I recommend cutting back a little on the overall amount used.