Description
Typically I use a ricotta cheese blend for my lasagna filling, however I did not have any in stock. I decided to substitute cream cheese instead. I am never going back to the ricotta blend. It was that good!
Ingredients
- ½ pounds “loose” Italian Sausage
- ½ pounds Ground Chuck
- 4 cups Marinara Sauce
- 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
- 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Salt To Taste
- ½ teaspoons Cracked Black Pepper
- 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Softened
- 2 whole Eggs
- ¾ cups Grated Parmesan Cheese, Plus 3 Tablespoons
- 1 Tablespoon Dried Parsley
- 12 whole Sheets Of Lasagna Noodles, Cooked Per Package Instructions Just Under Al Dente
- 3 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Preparation
Preheat your oven to 350 F.
Start by adding the sausage and beef to a pot over medium heat, and cook it all the way through until nicely browned. Drain any fat, and return the pot of meat to the stove. Add your marinara, and give it a good stir. Season with the garlic, Italian seasoning, and some salt and pepper. Stir again.
Next, make your cheese sauce. Into a mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, eggs, and 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Season with an additional pinch of salt and pepper, and the dried parsley. Give this a good mix until you have a smooth cheese sauce and everything is nicely incorporated.
OK, get your lasagna pan out. You know you have one (a deep 9×13 size). Take a ladle of the marinara and meat sauce, and get a nice thin layer on the bottom of the pan. Add 3 sheets of the cooked lasagna sheets onto the bottom. Top with some of the cheese mixture, into a nice even layer. Sprinkle a bit of the mozzarella cheese over the top, then more of the meat sauce. You want nice, even layers, reserving enough of both meat and cheese sauce for more layers.
Top with 3 more sheets of pasta, more cheese sauce, a bit more mozzarella, then more meat sauce. Repeat again, making sure the top layer gets the remaining meat sauce. Cover with mozzarella cheese, sprinkle on the 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, and take a look at that thing of beauty.
Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray, and place that, sprayed side down, onto the top of the pan of lasagna. I find this helps to prevent the cheese from sticking to the foil.
Put dish into the heated oven and cook for 40 minutes. Uncover, and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is nice and golden, and some of the edges are a bit crispy. Remove from oven.
Let this cool down a bit as it will be piping hot, then slice and serve.
