casual lasagna info

[duskbat]

Ok so i go roost now for the nite. ZZZZZZZ Tomorrow i will do lasagna. Any casual tips or ideas yall can give me. How would you go about a lasagna. Open to any cooking and lasagna ideas. what shall go with the lasagna. besides a very tall glass of icy milk. I think i would like to use ground turkey. what complement of cheese should i arm myself with ? any sause tips? Ok off i go. got the dvd in the heat of the nite on to watch tonite. Nite and good dreams lasagna lasagna lasagna lasagnalasagnalasagnalasagnalasagnalasagnalasagnalasagnalasagnalasagnalasagna
edited to add picture of a lasagna from wikipedia. i will take a picture of mine later tomorrow

 

[Jill B]

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G'day Dusky. When I make lasagne, I use a good quality bottled Italian tomato sauce (if we have no fresh tomatoes growing in the garden) I add crushed garlic, chilli, fresh Basil and Oregano leaves, and sometimes a dash of red wine. Simmer for a couple of hours.
I usually use pork or beef mince, but turkey should be fine. I always use shredded parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Sometimes I use eggplant slices instead of pasta.
Don't know about the big glass of milk; I prefer a nice glass of wine.
Let us know how it turns out. Enjoy.

 

[conniecat]

Go to store
buy package of Stouffer's lasagna
Go home
microwave
serve with salad and soft drink.

 

[Karry]

=yeah I would do what Connie does! My DH makes lasagna a lot. I don't know what he does, but it always comes out delish. One hint: buy the pre cooked lasagna noodles. I think Ronzoni makes them. So much easier :thumb Good luck and let us know how it turns out. btw: you can go to www.foodnetwork.com or www.allrecipes.com and find recipes there. I always read the reviews first tho.

 

[Corky]

Too much trouble! :lol I make mine like conniecat does!!

I actually buy a vegetarian one from the store that is quite tasty. Yum!

 

[nieciez]

:thumb Stouffer's makes a really good lasagna.

 

[cjbee]

I also use Ricotta cheese in the lasagna. Also, if you didn't feel like building the lasagna, you could by a tube shaped pasta and make baked ziti, which is essentially the same thing with different pasta.
CJ

 

[Whimsy]

I think it is cheaper to make it the way Connie suggested as well as tasty! Before I low carbed that Stouffer's made a pretty darn good lasagna!

 

[reggae]

that looks like a vegetarian lasagna in the picture. You can add a layer of zuchini slices in there too.

I'm with you, I love lasagna

 

[Gayle V]

Going against the flow here. No offense meant, but:

This pure bred Italian girl is appalled at the idea buying ready made lasagna. Yuk ! Double yuk! Using jar sauce is almost as bad simply buying the whole thing. Maybe worse, because you go through most of the work of making the lasagna and still you end up with one that tastes like ready made.

And along that same line is using fresh tomatoes. Store bought fresh tomatoes are a joke. You might as well eat wax imitations. But although home-growns taste good, they are not the same as what the canning companies have. So you would have to blanch and peel and seed them, then cook just the tomatoes for hours to get the acid low enough, and in the end it will still not taste as good as using commercially canned tomatoes and tomato paste. My favorite brand is Redpack, but Contadina, or Hunts are both good. And if you can find the Italian plum style canned, even better.

For decent lasagna you've just got to make it yourself, including the sauce.
I use mozzarella, Ricotta and romano. If you want my family recipe send me a PM. I don't frequently share our family recipes. But honestly it doesn't really contain any secret ingredient. The real secret ingredient to good lasagna is that you've got to do the work.

One more comment: I've given my recipe to friends, who later came back to me and commented, with a quizical tone, that it didn't taste the same as when they ate at my house. They thought there must be something wrong with the recipe I gave them cause their family didnt like it much.

Sure they substituted Kraft Parmesean for the Romano, and cottage cheese for the ricotta, and Jar sauce for the homemade. But, "gee, other than that, followed the directions, just like you said." They just couldn't figure what went wrong. :dizzy

If you like to substitute, just don't tell anyone you got the recipe from me.

 

[BostonsJ]

If I am going to make lasagna I always make my own sauce. And I bake meatballs and put them in the sauce a day ahead and let it just blurp for a full day. I slice the meatballs thinly and layer them in. Ricotta cheese IMO makes a lasagna. I mix the ricotta with an egg so that it stays stiffer. Sometimes I add italian sausage too. I haven't made one for a while I don't cook much in the summer. But it is coming into the time of year when you don't get outside as much as the weather turns, and then I enjoy cooking more.

 

[rooy]

hi duskbat-

use a combination of marinara AND tomato paste so your lasagna won't be runny. also, let the lasagna "rest" covered in foil after baking for at least 10-15 minutes so the ingredients "set" and you will then have a lasagna that stays together in it's layers. funny you should ask about lasagna- just made some last night! i'm always available for any
culinary questions. have a great weekend all!

 

[reggae]

Lots of good suggestions here. rooy, I know you are right about letting it set for a while, really helps keep it together.

Gayle, I'd love to have that recipe, too! I'll send you a PM...

 

[rooy]

hey duskbat-

one other suggestion: use San marzano canned tomatoes (if you can find them) to make your marinara. these tomatoes are from a region in Italy
snd make an incredible difference in flavor.

 

[korinalacount]

I always make homemade lasagne about every month,hubby loves it,and I always use Italian sausage. It is awesome!

 

[Rubysky]

Not a ground turkey fan here. Double yuk! When it is pretending to be something else the texture isn't right and there is a strange aftertaste.
Use some hot Italian sausage.
For the cheese use ricotta, mozzarella and an egg to help hold it together. Throw in a little bit of chopped parsley.
You can use your own spagetti sauce or buy a jar.
I've never used the precooked noodles but have heard good things about them.
Lasagnae freezes well, just chill it in the fridge overnight & cut it up in single servings. Wrap & LABEL. l

 

[Karry]

Reynolds also makes no stick aluminum foil. I buy store brand foil, but always have a roll of the no stick on hand for dishes like lasagna. Nothing like spending the time and $ making a meal, then having the cheese stuck on the foil when you take it out of the oven!

 

[nieciez]

[quote Gayle V]This pure bred Italian girl is appalled at the idea buying ready made lasagna. Yuk ! Double yuk!

substituted Kraft Parmesean for the Romano, and cottage cheese for the ricotta, [/quote]

I do agree....there is nothing better then real homemade but when I am hurried I can live with the store bought. And I agree, there is NOTHING like fresh grated romano or parmesean and cottage cheese in lasagna =eek perish the thought. I want your recipe Gayle! It's been years since I've made sauce from scratch....I just might have to give it a go again

 

[rooy]

so right, karry! i love that non-stick foil. if by chance i am out of it, i spray the regular kind with PAM before covering. i do prefer the non-stick kind, though.

 

[duskbat]

Oh my this is so much info. i am scared to make lasagna now! But I wont go buy a froozen one COnniecat! thats what they want you to do. Me makes one fresh. after eading all this help i dont think i have ever made a proper lasagna and now i am scared to.