Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage
1 medium onion, diced
3\u20134 cloves garlic, minced
2 (24 oz) jars of marinara or spaghetti sauce
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1\/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional for spice)
Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Cheese Mixture:
16 oz ricotta cheese
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1\/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1\/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 2 tsp dried)
For Assembly:
12\u201315 lasagna noodles (cooked al dente or use oven-ready noodles)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (additional for layering)
1\/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (for topping)
Construction
Prepare the Meat Sauce:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook ground beef, Italian sausage, and diced onion until browned and fully cooked.
Add garlic and cook for 1\u20132 minutes until fragrant.
Stir in marinara sauce, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15\u201320 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Mix the Cheese Filling:
In a medium bowl, combine ricotta cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, 2 cups shredded mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, egg, and parsley. Mix until smooth and creamy.
Layer the Lasagna:
Preheat oven to 375\u00b0F (190\u00b0C).
In a 9\u00d713-inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom.
Add a layer of lasagna noodles (3\u20134 noodles).
Spread 1\/3 of the cheese mixture over the noodles.
Add 1\/3 of the meat sauce.
Repeat layers (noodles, cheese mixture, meat sauce) two more times, ending with a final layer of noodles topped with meat sauce.
Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella and 1\/4 cup Parmesan over the top.
Bake the Lasagna:
Cover the dish with foil (to prevent sticking, spray foil with cooking spray).
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20\u201325 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
Let the lasagna rest for 10\u201315 minutes before slicing.
Variations
Vegetarian Option: Replace the meat with saut\u00e9ed vegetables like zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, or eggplant.
Low-Carb Version: Use thinly sliced zucchini or eggplant instead of lasagna noodles.
Different Cheeses: Substitute ricotta with cottage cheese, or add extra cheeses like provolone or fontina for a richer flavor.
Spicy Lasagna: Add diced jalape\u00f1os or more crushed red pepper to the sauce for a spicy kick.
White Sauce Variation: Use a b\u00e9chamel sauce instead of marinara for a creamy twist.
Tips
Make Ahead: Assemble the lasagna a day in advance, cover, and refrigerate. Bake when ready to serve.
Freezing: Freeze assembled (uncooked) lasagna for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before baking.
Even Layers: Spread each layer evenly for a clean-cut lasagna slice.
Cooking Noodles: If not using oven-ready noodles, slightly undercook regular noodles since they\u2019ll continue to cook in the oven.
Extra Flavor: Add a splash of red wine or balsamic vinegar to the meat sauce for depth.
Enjoy your Million Dollar Lasagna!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enjoy!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" IngredientsFor the Meat Sauce:1 lb ground beef1 lb Italian sausage1 medium onion, diced3\u20134 cloves garlic, minced2 (24 oz) jars of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[5,3,4,2,6,7,8,9,15,14],"class_list":["post-3420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recipes","tag-challenge","tag-cheesy","tag-chicken","tag-food","tag-italian","tag-pasta","tag-pizza","tag-pizzeria","tag-potatoes","tag-yum"],"yoast_head":"\n