Lasagna My Way

I do not know if I would call this traditional and it does not include the extras that I think destroy a great piece of comfort food.  It holds together when served leaving no soupy mess at the bottom of the pan.  I do some of this recipe by eye so the measurements are a guesstimate.  Oh, yeah I use a lasagna pan, not a 13x 9 dish. (mine is 15"x12"x2 1/4")

• 18 Lasagna noodles - Boil for 9 minutes with salt and 1 tbsp of olive oil, drain and rinse
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil, (not including the 1tbsp used above)
• 2lbs of 90/10 ground beef
• 2lbs of pork sausage (not links) - I buy fresh from the butcher
• 2tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1tbsp Salt
• 1tbsp Pepper
• 1tbsp Onion Powder
• 2tbsp crushed Garlic
• 30oz Ricotta Cheese
• 1 cup Sharp Cheddar - Shredded
• 7 eggs
• 1 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 37oz of your favorite pasta sauce.
• 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese - Shredded

Preheat you oven to 350 degrees (F), you will be baking for 1h, 50min.  Note that when I make this, the meat sauce is hot when I put the Lasagna in the oven, if you wait to bake later in the day or the next day you will need to increase your cooking time to 2.5 hours or so.

Grease your lasagna pan with 1tbsp of olive oil. Make sure that you get the sides and edges.  Trust me, this is important when it comes to serving the perfect slice and cleaning up afterward! Pour 7oz of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the pan. (enough to cover the bottom of the pan)

In a large pot, add 1tbsp of olive oil, heat on high and add the ground beef, and pork sausage and salt.  Brown and drain.

To the meat add the garlic, pepper, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and heat for 5 minutes on high.  Mix well while heating.  Add the remainder of the sauce and heat on medium till hot (aprox 30 min), mix well, while heating.

In a large bowel, beat the eggs, add the ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Mix well with a fork.

Putting it all together- Use 6 cooked lasagna noodles to cover the sauce at the bottom of the pan.  Cover the noddles with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, then 2 cups of the Mozzarella, then 1/3 of the meat sauce.  Repeat, 2 more times.  

Bake for 1 hour 35min.  Remove from oven and check with a thermometer that the center is hot.  If so,top with 2 cups of mozzarella and the balance of the Parmesan cheese.  Place back in the oven and bake for 10 -15 min till the cheese is melted but not burnt.

Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes while you heat your garlic bread!!!!! Cut and serve!