Ok ...you guys are in for a real treat. I make a pretty mean lasagna and my friends and I are doing a Freezer Meal Swap tomorrow so I've just spent the afternoon making my first batch of freezer lasagna's. (I'm making my second batch as I type this. Unfortunately I don't have pots big enough to do it all at once).
So here is my recipe...in a way...but full of pictures. This makes FOUR lasagna's. One for dinner, three for the freezer. Please feel free to leave comments if you loved it or hated it. Of course, if you hated it, it's probably because you substituted something (ie. Canned Spaghetti sauce for the real thing *gasp), so let us know what you did to screw up ;)
First of all...here's what you need to grab from the grocery store (don't forget to check the dollar store, that's where I get my tomatoes and tomato paste and dry spices).
1/2 Family Sized package of Ground Beef
2 Boxes of Lasagna Noodles (don't cheap out on NoName...it's NOT WORTH IT! and PLEASE no OVEN READY yuck! I'm warning you now.)
4 Cans of Diced Tomatoes
8 Cans of Tomato Paste
1 Costco sized Brick of Mozzarella
1-2 Large Cottage Cheese
4 Green Peppers
4 Red Peppers
24 Mushrooms
2 Onions
1 Big Bag of Spinach Leaves
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh Basil
Dry Oregano
Salt & Pepper
Let's get started. First you need a large frying pan to brown all that meat! Don't forget to do something with the other half of the meat. I usually like to just brown mine and put it in a few Ziploc bags. It's always a good idea to have pre-cooked ground beef on hand for those busy nights.
Next add 1/4 cup of some healthy filler. In this example I'm using some Organic Red River (minus the red) type cereal. You could also use ground oatmeal, flax, even whole wheat crackers. Remember...it's not just a filler, because it really doesn't NEED it...it's to get that extra kick of nutrition in there undetected by little children (or husbands).
Add 4 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic and brown the meat....oooo it's smelling so good now. Don't forget to drain out the fat after - this is very important. Greasy Food = Bad.
Now mince up 2 onions and add to browned meat. Note: Food Processor is a must! I would not even TRY to do up this many Lasagnas with this much to cut and grate without my trusty Kitchen Aid!
While you are doing all that, have some noodles cooking in a pot - or do it after, like I do because I'm not co-ordinated enough and my pots are so big and I don't like my stove top crowded. You will need to cook 36 noodles. I usually add in a few extra in case some break. Don't forget to add oil to the water. Pulling apart 36 stuck together noodles is not fun!
Ok, now dump your meat stuff into a big giant bowl. Now comes the fun part. Opening 12 cans with a hand can opener. Add the 8 cans of Tomato Paste to the bowl with the meat. Then add 4 cans of Diced Tomatoes (I pulse mine for a second in my Kitchen Aid because I don't like chunks and for some reason Crushed Tomatoes taste yucky).
Next dice up all the Peppers & Mushrooms and throw them in. Mince up the fresh herbs. I use 4 big Basil Leaves and about the equivalent amount of Cilantro.
Then add in about THIS much Oregano and some Salt and Pepper and make sure to mix it up REALLY well so you don't get salty spots.
Now it's time to put it all together. I like to line everything up on the table so it's all easily accessible. Oh...don't forget to put the noodles in cold water. It's not fun reaching into a pot of boiling water to get noodles. Been there, done that.
LAYER ONE: 3 Noodles, A bunch of spinach to cover the noodles. 1/4 tub of Cottage cheese. A handful of grated Mozza (really only a handful, the next layer is where it's at). On top of that spread 1.5 cups of Sauce. I actually use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to dump the sauce in. I find it way easier than a spoon and that way I know I'm not going to run out before the Lasagna's are put together.
LAYER TWO: 3 Noodles (I sometimes like to mix it up and put different kinds in. In this example I put a Spinach Noodle layer). 2 cups Sauce and a nice thick layer of Grated Mozza
LAYER THREE: Same thing, 3 noodles, 2 cups of Sauce and whatever Mozza you have left. Then I sprinkle it with Oregano.
Now pop one in the oven on 350F for 45-60 min and cover the other 3 with Tin Foil, label and put in the freezer. From frozen I'm guessing they will take about 1.5 hours but I never really time it. When it's hot all the way through it's done. It will need to sit for about 10 min when it comes out of the oven so it soaks all the juices back up.
Enjoy!
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