My First Lasagna

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Let's hope it's not a disaster.

I decided to surprise my parents tomorrow (since they're off work) and bring over a lasagna to their house for lunch.

Hopefully my mom didn't have something special already planned (to cook my dad) because then I'll feel bad (that she thawed something out or whatever).

I've never made one before, but I figured it would be fun.

I will take pics as I make it tomorrow to hopefully make it interesting and to share whether the recipe was a "do" or "trash." Very Happy

1 skim ricotta-cheese 15 oz
1 C onion
2.5 C cheese (divide)
1/2 C Parmesan (divide)
fourth C. of fresh parsley
an egg (lightly beaten)
jar of spaghetti sauce (i got the garden kind w/chunky veggies and mushrooms)
lb. browned ground beef (drained)
1C. of water
12 uncooked lasagna noodles

preheat 350

mix r.cheese, 1 1/4 C of moz cheese, 1/4 C of Parm. Cheese, parsley, onion, and egg until blended

put spaghetti sauce into meat in whatever you cooked it in. pour water in (use water you put in spaghetti jar so you get all the flavor possible). stir until mixed. should be 5 C of spaghetti sauce (not including the meat).

place 1 C of the mixed sauce on bottom of 13X9 baking dish (so noodles don't stick).

layer 3 lasagna noodles (i used four), then 1/3 of ric. cheese mixture, and 1 C of the mixed sauce. Repeat layers two more times. Top w/3 lasagna noodles and sauce.

sprinkle remaining 1 1/4 C of mozz. cheese and 1/4 C. Parm. cheese. Cover tightly with greased foil.

Bake 45 min.

Remove foil and bake an additional 15 min. or until bubbling.

Pray it tastes good.

I'm excited to try it.

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Sounds good to me, and I'm sure it will taste good Wink

My first lasagne was a disaster, I just put the pasta
in without cooking itfirst

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OK, I am bound to be a witch here, so I'll go with it.

On cooking lasagna noodles in the dish, sans pre cooking, it is ok in at least some recipes.

On the recipe at the top of this thread, I'd toss it.

what do you mean, spaghetti sauce?
what do you mean, ground beef?

A good bolognese sauce takes several hours... pooh from a jar.

She says, snarling.

Ok, ok, past my insulting huffing, I remember my first lasagna, it took me forever and was only ok.

Now I make my own pasta and make a relatively mild set of things to go with it.

This isn't really a whole world of difference, except for taste, but also it is fairly easy to look up, on line, or some of us could forward recipes.
So, I suppose I've been entirely insulting while not meaning to be, and I am sure I have borderline no clue about asian recipes.

I just don't want to be nice about this lasagna recipe, it sucks.

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I think the skim milk ricotta cheese is tasteless. Lasagna isn't a dish you should cut fat and calories out of, IMO. Use the whole milk ricotta Jo. When I make lasagna, I use a LOT of mozarella cheese, some garlic, fresh parsley, salt and pepper, onions and green peppers, mushrooms and ground turkey. (I don't eat beef). Instead using spaghetti sauce in a jar, I use Marinara sauce. It's lighter then reg sauce. Don't forget to get some crusty Italian bread and warm it in the oven. YUM!

Are you serving wine with the lasagna? How about dessert?

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Good luck with your first lasagne, Joahaeyo! I might just hang around to see if I can pick up any handy tips from the experts, seeing as I'm not one myself!

(PS ... Love that dog! Very Happy

)

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I love that dog picture too Smile

Hm, maybe someone will fork over a good lasagne recipe.
I sure haven't tried it again after my first disaster,
but hey I am adventurous now. (I hope my guests too)!

Where are the Italians here?

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It'll be fine Joa. That's how I use to make it, except I used the regular ricotta cheese and it was good.

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I always add onion to everything. As far as the recipe, it'll just be the folks who suffer since I won't eat it (don't eat red meat). teehehe

I can't do something complicated on my first try!!! I'm a goon like that.

Here's me browning the lean ground beef.

http://img186.exs.cx/img186/3163/14mj.jpg

I did decide to use the original ricotta cheese

http://img186.exs.cx/img186/4431/25mf.jpg

The onion, parsley, PART of the cheese, PART of the Parm. cheese, and one egg mixed together

http://img186.exs.cx/img186/5481/37xe.jpg

Here I am adding the chunky sauce into the ground beef

http://img186.exs.cx/img186/4073/45ma.jpg

What it looked like when it all came together PRIOR to putting it in the oven.

http://img186.exs.cx/img186/270/57cf.jpg

I will post how it came out when it comes out of the oven. Still 30 min. to go. I'm also making something else. Going to make and post the recipe after it's done (if I have all the ingredients).

And because I'm a proud mommy. Thanks a bunch for the compliments. She's a handful.

http://img186.exs.cx/img186/4645/6o7pi.jpg

It's raining outside!

http://img185.exs.cx/img185/5951/7o3uk.jpg

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Oh, I'm melting away - the pups are just so precious...

Sorry, it does distract from your cooking. I like the
idea of cooking in pictures. We should open a thread
like this, where we take pictures while cooking.

Could be very interesting. Wink

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Oh, I agree. I find it helpful in many ways to see pics!

Anyways, here is the final product.

http://img196.exs.cx/img196/4100/62jz.jpg

Please stay tuned though!!! I'm not bringing it over to the folks place until 11 a.m. It's now 9:50 a.m. where I am.

I also decided not to make the other thing until I get to their place. Didn't make sense to make it now.

So more pics and taste results later this evening!!! Very Happy

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If it is not too late – you can now purchase lasagna noodles that can be cooked in the oven. Saves a huge step in preparing lasagna. Basically add whatever veggies or meat products you like. Almost anything tastes good in a lasagna and also add seasonings to your taste. I tend to add lots of garlic and oregano to the cheese filling.

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My recipe says you can use "uncooked lasagna" and just lay them right on. There was no need to pre-cook them. Very Happy

It came out cooked and ready! Smile

I just ran down the street to check on the dogs. Going back to the folks house to see if they like it. they're extremely picky eaters.

I made me appetizer already too but the camera is at their place.

see you guys soon.

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Wow, incredible and adorable animals AND food--I think I've landed in heaven.

I remember my first lasagne, and happily I didn't have to cook it! The first really splendid one came when my friend Jean, who makes monster lasagne, made me one for a surprise birthday party.

Lights go off, everyone's singing, and I notice the candles are melting from both ends because they're in a lasagne!

Except for the slight waxy residue here and there :-), it was awesome. Knowing I didn't eat red meat, she found a fabulous turkey sausage that she used in the marinara. YUM!

Anyway, best of luck!

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My mom loved it!!!! She hardly eats american food too because she prefers Korean, but she said it needed a little more meat and sauce, but the recipe was a sure keeper. Very Happy

I always use them to test out food before feeding my fiance. ha

My dad didn't like mushrooms on it. It was in the sauce along with bell peppers, etc, so that's his own problem. Wink

He still enjoyed it and ate basically half the casserole.

The other Recipe which was a hit!!! They ate them all before they sat down with the plate!!!

4 ounces of Phili Cream Cheese.
2 T honey
heeping 1/4 C Sliced Almonds
crescent dinner rolls

preheat oven 375

mix cream chese, honey. then mix in the almonds

http://img189.exs.cx/img189/126/118hs.jpg

http://img189.exs.cx/img189/4854/133nk.jpg

unroll crescent roll dough. separate the 8 triangles. spread rounded T. of the mix on the SHORTEST end of the triangle. This means the OPPOSITE end than what I did (took a pic before I moved the mixture to the right side). Embarrassed

http://img189.exs.cx/img189/7269/124yw.jpg

Then roll up, pinching the sides so they don't come out. Then after rolled up, bedn them so they resemble crescents!!

http://img189.exs.cx/img189/454/151af.jpg

Bake 11-14 min. Serve warm and be prepared to make double!! Very Happy

http://img189.exs.cx/img189/6979/165li.jpg

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Congrats on providing your parents with a good meal Joah. The crestent rolls sound good. I might add them to the Super Bowl feast.

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Here's a tip to try next time. Instead of ground beef, use mild italian sausage, casings removed. It really kicks the whole thing up a notch.

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that sounds delicious.

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cjhsa wrote:

Here's a tip to try next time. Instead of ground beef, use mild italian sausage, casings removed. It really kicks the whole thing up a notch.

Italian sausage are so good. I like to cook the sweet kind in a big pot filled with green peppers and tons of onions. Let it all cook together for about 3 hours and yum!!!

Jo, your lasagna looks delicious. The crescent rolls look good too. I've never seen that receipe before. Oh, and your dogs are so adorable.

Congrats on cooking your parents a good hearty meal. How lucky they are to have a daughter as nice as you.

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Yuuummy!!

Suddenly I'm hungry for something yummy! Just too lazy to cook so I'll settle with filling my empty stomach with pop. ughh!

I like Jane's idea of having a thread where we post pics that we take while cooking. That was my banana cake thread.

Good job, Jo. No doubt the cream cheese and almond thingys were a hit. They look absolutely delicious!

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Congrats to you Joa :-D

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My First Lasagna

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