Loaf Pan Lasagna Food

LOAF PAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPER LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Mix together the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper and 1 cup of the mozzarella in a medium bowl until combined.
• Spread 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture in the bottom of an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch glass loaf pan. Top with 1 lasagna noodle, followed by one-third of the spinach, one-third of the red pepper and then one-third of the sausage. Repeat the layering twice, starting with 1/3 cup of the cheese mixture. Top with the last lasagna noodle and spread with the remaining cheese mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.
• Bake until the top is golden brown and bubbling and the noodles are cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

LOAF PAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cover a baking sheet with plastic wrap.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add some salt. Cook the lasagna noodles until al dente, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, then lay out flat on the wrapped baking sheet until ready to assemble.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, beef and garlic and cook until the meat is browned completely, about 5 minutes. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat (if needed), add the tomato paste and fry for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and crush with a spoon. Add the basil, 1 tablespoon of the parsley and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, add the cottage cheese, ricotta, beaten eggs, 1/2 cup of the grated Parmesan, 2 teaspoons salt and remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and mix together well. Set aside.
• Before or during assembly, cut or tear the lasagna sheets in half crosswise.
• To assemble each loaf pan: Add just enough meat sauce (about 1/4 cup) to cover the bottom of each of three 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch aluminum foil loaf pans. Layer 4 half lasagna sheets, overlapping, over the sauce on each. Top with 1/2 cup of the cottage cheese mixture, spread evenly. Top with 3 slices mozzarella, then 1/2 cup meat sauce, then 4 half lasagna sheets, overlapping. Top with 1/2 cup cottage cheese mixture, spread evenly, 3 slices mozzarella and 1/2 cup meat sauce. Finish with 4 half lasagna sheets, overlapping, 1/2 cup meat sauce and 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan. The lasagnas can be baked right away, covered in foil and refrigerated for up to 2 days or wrapped in foil and frozen.
• If baking right away, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve with a couple of slices of ciabatta or baguette and cherry tomatoes tossed in basil.
• If baking from frozen, put the loaf pan on a baking sheet, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Uncover and bake until hot and bubbly, an additional 20 to 25 minutes.

LOAF PAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. (Yes, I said 400 degrees.)
• 2. In a (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef and onions. Cook until the ground beef is lightly browned, then drain off the grease.
• 3. Place the cooked ground beef and onion back in the skillet, then and the garlic, salt, and pepper.
• 4. Now add the crushed red pepper flakes, and continue cooking for at least 30 seconds.
• 5. Now stir in the diced tomatoes (along with the juice), the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, then set pan aside.
• 6. In a bowl, combine together, the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese, and the egg.
• 7. To assemble the lasagna, spread ½ cup of the meat sauce in the baking pan.
• 8. Spread ⅓ of the cottage cheese mixture on top 2 of the Lasagna noodle, and lay on top of the meat sauce (side by side).
• 9. Repeat this layering 2 more times, making sure you end up with enough meat sauce and mozzarella cheese for the top layer.
• 10. When you lay the last noodle down, you will have no more cottage cheese mixture left.
• 11. Place the remaining meat sauce on top of the dry noodles.
• 12. Mix together the 1/4 cup of remaining mozzarella cheese with 2 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle cheese mixture on top.
• 13. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with a bit of non-stick olive oil cooking spray.
• 14. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.
• 15. Remove the aluminum foil, and continue baking until the cheese is lightly brown on top. (I baked mine for 10 minutes, then removed pan from the oven.)
• 16. Let cool for 10 minutes out of the oven before slicing the Lasagna. (This made 4 to 5 servings.)
• 17. *Note: When it came to placing the Lasagna Noodles in the baking pan, I needed to break off 1-inch of each lasagna noodle, in order for them to fit inside the pan.

SMALLER LASAGNA FOR TWO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cook noodles and drain.
• Saute onion and garlic in olive oil in a large skillet for a few minutes then add ground beef, oregano, basil salt and pepper and cook until beef is browned, breaking up any clumped meat. Stir in marinara sauce and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, making sure sauce doesn't get too thick.
• In a small bowl, whisk together a lightly beaten egg with ricotta and parmesan.
• In the bottom of a loaf pan, place about 1 cup meat sauce across the bottom. Top with two noodles, then top with half of the remaining meat sauce mixture. Top with another two noodles and the ricotta mixture. Top with the last two noodles and the remaining sauce. Layer mozzarella slices across the top.
• Loosely tent pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake another ten minutes, allowing cheese to brown.
• Let sit for about 10-15 minutes before you cut into it.

LOAF PAN LASAGNA FOR TWO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute until the onion is translucent and softened, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef and use a wooden spoon to break it into pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the oregano and cook 1 minute. Stir in the marinara and let simmer while you make the ricotta mixture.
• Lightly beat the egg in a medium bowl. Stir in the ricotta, parsley, basil, 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan until combined.
• Begin to layer the lasagna, spread 2 tablespoons marinara sauce evenly over the bottom of an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan. Cover with 1 lasagna noodle. Spread on 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture followed by 1/2 cup marinara sauce. Top with another noodle. Repeat layering 4 more times, ending with the sauce. Top the final layer with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until the noodles are tender and the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.