Monster Lasagna

I have a friend we call "Mrs. Fezziwig." If you remember the Scrooge story, then you understand that we are paying a deservedly huge compliment to a friend who opens her home to partiers and potluckers on a regular basis. It's far more like a family gathering than anything else. In many ways, this group is my family far more than at least some of my biological family.

Mrs. Fezziwig, per your request, this one's for you.

I got a request for my lasagna recipe from a couple people at the Super Bowl party. I was tempted to say it was just off the back of the box, but thinking back over what I did, I guess it really wasn't. This makes a huge lasagna (I used one of those large pasta pans from Wally World to bake/transport it), and it's pretty dadgum heavy, so bring a strong dude with you to carry it so you can boss them around. ;-)

One 16 oz box of regular lasagna noodles, cooked, drained, and sprayed with Pam so they won't stick together
Two pounds ground chicken, 91/9 (or I'm sure other items will work just fine, but I saved some fat grams this way)
2 jars spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes whirled in the blender and a small can tomato paste, or a big can of crushed tomatoes would probably be fine
Italian or Pizza seasoning
Fennel Seed (I think this is pretty good and important in italian tomato sauce type recipes)
Salt for the ricotta/mozzarella mixture
4 lbs ricotta cheese (I used part skim)
4 slightly beaten eggs
4 cups shredded mozzzarella cheese
A whole bunch of grated or shredded parmesan
Basil and/or parsley

Cook ground meat until browned, in a big skillet. Reduce heat to low and add the spaghetti sauce, tomato paste/obliterated tomatoes, italian seasoning, and fennel seed, and warm the whole thing up. I also threw in some leftover rose wine because I had it around, and I think it adds a nice flavor.

In a huge bowl combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, most of the mozzarella cheese (3 cups or so), and around a cup of parmesan.

Spray the bottom of the pan with Pam. Put several ladles of sauce in the bottom of the pan. Top with a layer of lasagna noodles, big glops of the mozzarella/ricotta mixture, and then more meat sauce. Repeat this whole layer thing again. Then put the rest of the noodles on it and cover with meat sauce. Add mozzarella cheese, parmesan, and basil/parsley. Cover with foil.

I put mine in the freezer then, because I made it ahead of time.

On Super Bowl Sunday, I took it out of the freezer several hours ahead of time and put it in a 350 oven with the foil still on. All this did to the giant mass of lasagna was thaw it out, as I suspected. Then I cranked my oven up to 400ish and baked for another hour and a half or so (check on it regularly). I took the foil off the last twenty min or so.

If you want a regular 13 x 9 size lasagna, just cut the recipe in half. If you bake it right away without freezing it, it will take 40ish minutes at 350, then remove the foil and bake maybe another 10 min.

Or just make two at once in separate 13 x 9 foil pans. It's not a whole lot more work to make one than it is two, and you'll be glad when you can just pull one out of the freezer some day instead of cooking. Or you'll have one handy to send to a friend who has a hard time, or a baby, or an illness, or just needs some blessing. You know who they are. Lasagna love, I would think, would go a long way to help many situations... *L*

It's best if you let it sit for maybe ten or fifteen minutes before you cut into it.

This lasagna was super yummy, held together well, and wasn't runny.