Cheeseburger Lasagna
This is the best Lasagna recipe I have tried. This can definitely be made ahead to bake the next day. It makes a huge pan, so great for a big crowd!
This is the best Lasagna recipe I have tried. This can definitely be made ahead to bake the next day. It makes a huge pan, so great for a big crowd!
- Carbohydrate 29.9116944811888 g
- Cholesterol 168.242323924862 mg
- Fat 28.4037409442337 g
- Fiber 1.03169955447033 g
- Protein 39.487581848286 g
- Saturated Fat 15.3440453594239 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (322g)
- Sodium 871.454839576663 mg
- Sugar 28.8799949267184 g
- Trans Fat 2.42167244714086 g
- Calories 535 calories
Step-by-step
- Spray 13 x 9-inch (3 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook beef and onion over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, water, ketchup and mustard. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat egg with fork or wire whisk. Stir in ricotta cheese and 2 cups of the cheese blend.
- Spread 1 cup beef mixture over bottom of baking dish. Top with 4 uncooked noodles. Spread half of the ricotta mixture over noodles; top with 1 cups beef mixture. Repeat layers once with 4 noodles, remaining ricotta mixture and 1 cups beef mixture. Top with remaining 4 noodles, beef mixture and 1 cup Cheddar cheese. Cover with foil.
- Heat oven to 350F. Bake lasagna, covered, 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 25-35 minutes longer or until bubbly. Remove from oven. Cover with foil; let stand 5 to 10 minutes before cutting.
Traditional Italian lasagna relies on a long-simmered ragu and a delicate bechamel, but this Americanized hybrid swaps those components for a bold skillet sauce built on ground beef, ketchup, and yellow mustard. Standard pasta sheets bridge the structural gap between two distinct culinary worlds. Standard kitchen equipment handles the transition effortlessly without requiring specialty tools or oversized pots.
Dry pasta absorbs moisture directly from the surrounding sauce during the baking process, eliminating the need to boil noodles beforehand. Layering uncooked lasagna sheets requires precise liquid management because under-hydrated noodles remain brittle. Pouring enough water and tomato sauce into the skillet prevents dry spots by ensuring the starches hydrate evenly at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Aluminum foil traps steam during the initial 45 minutes of baking to soften the durum wheat completely before the cheese layer browns.
Melting characteristics dictate cheese selection when combining cheddar and ricotta. Sharp cheddar introduces assertive flavor notes, while high moisture content in commercial ricotta creates a rich, creamy binder when mixed with beaten egg. Allowing the baked dish to rest for ten minutes off the heat stabilizes the internal proteins, enabling clean slices to form without structural collapse.
Assembled casseroles hold up exceptionally well when refrigerated overnight before baking. Storing the unbaked pan for twenty-four hours allows the flavors to meld further, though extended refrigeration may require an extra ten minutes in the oven to compensate for the cold center.
