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Hearty Beef Lasagna

2/6/2019

20 Comments

 
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If you're looking for a vegetarian lasagna, this is not it. This lasagna is meaty, it's creamy, cheesy, and best of all, it has the crusty top that everyone seems to fight over for.

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HEARTY BEEF LASAGNA
Serves 10 to 12

Adapted from Cooks Country, from February 1, 2017 Issue

INGREDIENTS:

Lasagna:
  • Vegetable Oil Spray
  • 17 curly-edged lasagna noodles
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 12 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (3 cups)
  • 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Meat Sauce:
  • 2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1-1/2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Cream Sauce:
  • 8 ounces (1 cup) cottage cheese
  • 4 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (2 cups)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

​For the lasagna:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray rimmed baking sheet and 13 by 9-inch baking dish with oil spray. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add noodles and salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Drain noodles and transfer them to prepared sheet. Using tongs, gently turn noodles to coat lightly with oil spray. Cut 2 noodles in halt crosswise.

For the meat sauce:
Mash bread and milk in bowl until smooth. Add beef, salt, and pepper and knead with your hands until well combined; set aside. Heat oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add beef mixture, breaking meat into small pieces with wooden spoon, and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and bring to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors have melded, about 5 minutes.

For the cream sauce:
Whisk all ingredients in bowl until combined.

Lay 3 noodles lengthwise in prepared dish with ends touching 1 short side of dish, leaving gap at far end. Lay 1 half noodle crosswise to fill gap (if needed).

Spread 1½ cups meat sauce over noodles, followed by ½ cup cream sauce and finally ½ cup mozzarella. Repeat layering of noodles, meat sauce, cream sauce, and mozzarella 3 more times, switching position of half noodle to opposite end of dish each time.

Lay remaining 3 noodles over top (there is no half noodle for top layer). Spread remaining cream sauce over noodles, followed by remain 1 cup mozzarella. Sprinkle pecorino over top.
​
Spray sheet of aluminum foil with oil spray and cover lasagna. Set lasagna on rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Discard foil and continue to bake until top layer of lasagna is spotty brown, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Let lasagna coo for 30 minutes. Slice and serve.

To make ahead:
​At the end of step 7, cover dish with greased aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to eat, bake lasagna as directed in step 8, increasing covered baking time to 55 minutes.
20 Comments
Unknown
2/6/2019 11:58:25 pm

This was exceptional. The only things that I did differently were: 1) I made the panade using fresh garlic toast with slightly more milk to offset the dryness, 2) I ran short on Romano so I added fresh-grated Parmesan, and 3) I used my own canned tomatoes braced with several hearty squeezes from a tube of tomato paste. This lasagna has a creamier texture than others I have made. Truth be told: I have never been a big lasagna fan...until now.
Neither I or my husband could think of any ways to improve this recipe.

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Lydia link
2/6/2019 11:59:59 pm

I’m so glad you liked the recipe! Your modifications sound delicious. I will have to try it one day!

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Ann'ue Sensation
2/6/2019 11:59:04 pm

I just made this for friends..the coments were "this is the best lasagna I have ever had"

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Lydia link
2/7/2019 12:00:33 am

Wow, thank you for letting me know! So glad your friends enjoyed the lasagna!

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Susie link
8/16/2019 11:03:21 am

This recipe was delish! It serving as a main course, it will only serve 6 as almost everyone had doubles. I served it with a simple cucumber and tomato salad . A lovely meal.

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Cook Taste Share
11/9/2019 07:28:18 am

Hi Susie,

I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! A cucumber and tomato salad sounds delicious!

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Mary Sparico
11/2/2019 11:22:38 am

This recipe comes from Cook’s Country. You really should give credit to where you get your recipes.

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Cook Taste Share
11/9/2019 07:26:45 am

Yes, the recipe is from Cook’s Country. I always give credit. I will never take credit for someone else’s recipe. Right above the ingredients I noted that “Recipe is adapted from Cooks Country, February 1, 2017 issue”.

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Gene
11/17/2019 10:29:55 am

Should "1 slices" of hearty white bread be "2 slices"?

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Cook Taste Share
11/17/2019 03:44:01 pm

Hi Gene,
Absolutely! Thank you for the correction!

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Mia
8/12/2020 09:39:07 pm

What are the baking instructions from frozen? Would you thaw it first or can it be baked frozen? Side note...this is the best lasagna EVER!!

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Cook Taste Share
6/18/2021 01:34:05 pm

Hi Mia!

I’ve never baked this lasagna frozen before but I did do a quick google search and it seems like baking frozen lasagna at 400F for 90 mins should do the trick. Thank you for the side note 😊

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Stephanie
1/7/2021 05:22:29 pm

I love this recipe.. Thank you so much for sharing ... We used to always just get the "frozen premade stuff" .. But dince Covid .. Ive been expanding my cooking skills... My hubs will actually ask me to make 2 pans so he can have one for lunches at work !!! Even my picky eater kids love this particular recipe :-) I'm literally making it right now as a matter of fact ... Perfect rainy dreary day for 'sagne :--)

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Cook Taste Share
6/18/2021 01:36:09 pm

Yes! Covid time has definitely forced many of us to further our culinary skills. It made my day hearing that your family loves this recipe. Stay safe!

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Maggee Mae
3/29/2021 10:37:37 pm

My husband loves my homemade sauce so for me to tell him I was making a new lasagna recipe he had his doubts. Well he went back for 2nds. I even goofed and forgot the bread because I fried the burger/onion the night before and even forgot to add the sauce to simmer. I just stirred it all together. Added a few more seasonings to the mixture. Was concerned I would not have enough cream sauce. Amount was perfect. Very easy to put together and so less time consuming then making from scratch. Thanks for breaking down Cooks Country recipe. I watched the show all the time and subscribe to the magazine.

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Cook Taste Share
6/18/2021 01:39:45 pm

Hi Maggee Mae!

I love how adaptable and modifiable this recipe is! And yes, I am a big Cooks Country fan as well!

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JoRo link
4/3/2021 03:42:29 pm

I am by no means a cook (My son says I "make" good English muffins in the toaster 😋) You would never know it from making this recipe though! Soooo delicious and easy to do. I will use the cream sauce in baked ziti as well.

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Cook Taste Share
6/18/2021 01:52:20 pm

Hi JoRo!

Kids and their silly comments, right? 🤪
Your bake ziti with cream sauce idea sounds scrumptious! Please let me know how it goes!

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Carla
12/21/2021 11:56:52 am

Thank you for this recipe. Cook’s Country wants me to pay to get it from their website

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Maggie
3/17/2022 05:20:59 pm

This looks amazing. My only question is what size of cottage cheese curds are called for in the recipe?
Thank you.

Reply



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