Three Cheese Lasagna with Meat Sauce #SundaySupper #FamilyDinnerTable

by Anne Papina on November 10, 2013

Three Cheese Lasagna with Meat Sauce #SundaySupper | Webicurean

Did you know the world’s largest cheese was an American Cheddar out of Wisconsin? True story. Made as a promotional gimmick for the Wisconsin exhibit at the 1964 New York World’s Fair, it measured 6 1/2 feet wide by 5 1/2 feet high by 14 1/2 feet long, and weighed in at a whopping 34,591 pounds.  That’s a serious hunk of cheese! Our Wisconsin friends at American Family Insurance are sponsoring this week’s #SundaySupper, and it’s all about the cheese. In the spirit of this cheesy goodness, I’m bringing my Three Cheese Lasagna with Meat Sauce.

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Cheese is actually one of the oldest of made foods, dating back to the prehistoric beginnings of herding and likely discovered by accident. Libyan Sahara cave paintings from 5000 BC depict what appears to be cheese making, and Egyptians certainly made cheese, as traces of actual cheese have been found in an Egyptian tomb from around 3000 BC. (Oxford Companion to Food, 1999.) Talk about aged. The world’s love for cheese runs so deep that, in fact, the very first single-subject food book, Summa Lacticiniorum (1477), was devoted to the subject of cheese.

Personally, my love for cheese runs deep too–it’s probably the only food that I couldn’t live without. OK, technically I could, but you know what I mean. Around here, you’ll find some sort of cheese in the fridge on any given day, and it’s often added to recipes to give them that little something extra. Cheese can last in the fridge for weeks (plus it’s OK to trim off any mold before using), so little ever goes to waste. While hard cheeses can usually handle high temperatures, it’s best to stick with lower temps, unless you want your cheese to curdle and separate. Here are some additional tips for buying, storing, and cooking with cheese from the Wisconsin Cheese Board.

In cooking, cheese is rarely the star of the show, and I wanted to prepare a dish where it really shined. This lasagna is loaded with three different kinds of cheese, and the best part is the ricotta blended with a bunch of fresh herbs and garlic, which really makes it pop. The recipe is pretty flexible too, which is nice. This time I used a combination of ground veal with sausage in the meat sauce, to change things up a bit. If swapping out cheeses, for best results I’d recommend sticking with a similar combination of a fresh cheese combined with a semi-soft cheese, and a hard cheese in similar proportions as noted below.

Three Cheese Lasagna with Meat Sauce #SundaySupper #FamilyDinnerTable | Webicurean

A big hit at the dinner table, not only did everyone go back for seconds, but I couldn’t help but notice they scraped all the burnt bits from the edges of the pan to snack on. That’s some good eating!

Shall we begin?

Three Cheese Lasagna with Meat Sauce #SundaySupper #FamilyDinnerTable | Webicurean

First, chop the herbs and garlic and stir into the ricotta cheese, along with the egg. Shred the mozzarella cheese, and get everything ready to assemble the lasagna.

Three Cheese Lasagna with Meat Sauce #SundaySupper #FamilyDinnerTable | Webicurean

Spread enough meat sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish to cover the entire bottom (about 1 cup or more).

Arrange a row of uncooked lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. The noodles will expand during baking, so don’t worry if there are some gaps.

Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the lasagna noodles, then sprinkle 1/4 of the mozzarella and 1/4 of the Parmesan cheese on top of that.

Spread another cup or so of meat sauce over that, then repeat the layers two more times.

Three Cheese Lasagna with Meat Sauce #SundaySupper #FamilyDinnerTable | Webicurean

For the final layer, start another noodle layer, then cover with meat sauce so that the noodles are completely covered. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Bake 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

Three Cheese Lasagna with Meat Sauce #SundaySupper #FamilyDinnerTable | Webicurean

Enjoy with a tossed salad, some French bread, wine, and good friends.

Three Cheese Lasagna with Meat Sauce #SundaySupper #FamilyDinnerTable | Webicurean

Have seconds, you know you want to.

Here’s the printer friendly version:

5.0 from 2 reviews
Three Cheese Lasagna with Meat Sauce
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
The perfect lasagna, loaded with mushrooms, meat, and three different kinds of cheese.
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: American
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Italian Gravy/Meat Sauce
  • 1-1 lb package oven ready/no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 1 lb ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1½ tbsp chopped marjoram
  • 1½ tbsp chopped oregano
  • 2 tsp chopped thyme
  • 1 lb low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. Spread about 1 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish so that the bottom is completely covered. Use a little more if necessary.
  3. Top this with two lasagna noodles running the length of the dish. The noodles will expand as they absorb the liquid during cooking, so don't worry if there are gaps on the sides.
  4. Stir the ricotta, egg, garlic, and herbs in a medium bowl. Spread ⅓ of this mixture over the lasagna noodles. Top with ¼ of the mozzarella and ¼ of the Parmesan cheese. Top with a cup of the meat sauce, and repeat these layers two more times.
  5. For the final layer, start another noodle layer, then cover with meat sauce so that the noodles are completely covered. Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
  6. Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. Allow to rest a few minutes before serving.
Notes
Note: In making the sauce, I used ground veal and Jimmy Dean sausage instead of the ground beef and Italian sausage as well as subbing shiitake mushrooms for the criminis. Feel free to make similar substitutions to suit your tastes.

Also note: If you cannot find no-boil noodles, regular noodles are fine--just bake a few extra minutes so that they're cooked through. In any event, you'll have a few leftover noodles here.

Stop by the American Family Pinterest Board for family meal time inspiration or follow American Family Insurance on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. They will continue to share more family favorite recipes and the stories behind them.

Let’s see what the others have cooked up!

Cheesy Recipes Perfect for Sunday Supper:

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Sunday Supper LogoWould you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? Click here → Sunday Supper Movement

 

This post is sponsored by American Family Insurance. All opinions are my own.

{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }

Renee November 10, 2013 at 3:17 am

Yep, I’m reading this a little after 6am and already craving lasagna. What a great way to feature and highlight cheese. And I love the photo at the dinner table.

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Lane @ Supper for a Steal November 10, 2013 at 5:09 am

I’ve never used the no boil noodles, but what a time saver! I will have to try. Great looking lasagna.

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Anne Papina November 10, 2013 at 12:38 pm

They have them at Trader Joe’s if you can’t find them elsewhere. You can also use regular noodles uncooked, but I find these give the final product a much better texture.

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Tammi @ Momma's Meals November 10, 2013 at 5:31 am

Ahhhhhh Lasagna!!!! I have yet to master this! Great recipe to try! 🙂

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Family Foodie November 10, 2013 at 5:37 am

Seriously, what is better than a great big pan of lasagna… not much… well maybe except this one with 3 different cheeses! Awesome pictures.

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Cindys Recipes and Writings November 10, 2013 at 6:12 am

What’s lasagna without cheese? I think I eat it just for the cheese!!

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Susan November 10, 2013 at 6:55 am

A good lasagna is a real weakness and just looking at these photos and your recipe this is a good one! I love that you use veal, gives more flavor than just ground beef and all those ricotta piled on top of those layers is calling out to me.

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Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious November 10, 2013 at 7:01 am

Just looking at your photos at the table makes me crave an invite to your next dinner party! Love your lasagna!

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Liz November 10, 2013 at 7:32 am

Mmmmmm….I haven’t made lasagna yet this fall, but your pictures and yummy recipe are pushing me to bake one up ASAP!

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Heather // girlichef November 10, 2013 at 8:24 am

Aw yeah, those burnt bits are the best! This looks amazing. I’d probably go back for thirds!

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Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips November 10, 2013 at 8:51 am

Oh but the crispy, burnt edges are the best part!! I eat those first! This looks amazing!

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Shaina November 10, 2013 at 9:00 am

Lasagna is the perfect dish when you need to involve cheese! There is nothing like a good comforting cheesy lasagna dish 🙂

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Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen November 10, 2013 at 10:12 am

Lovely lasagna!! It sounds wonderful and looks beautiful. I actually have never made a lasagna from scratch. I need to rectify that!!

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DB-The Foodie Stuntman @ Crazy Foodie Stunts November 10, 2013 at 12:03 pm

Great to finally meet you! I love the little history lesson and your lasagna looks delicious!

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Anne Papina November 10, 2013 at 12:40 pm

Great meeting you too! I just love throwing in little historical tidbits!

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Carla November 10, 2013 at 2:49 pm

My mom would love this lasagna recipe. She always wants me to make a meat and cheese lasagna.

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Alida November 10, 2013 at 5:44 pm

Look at that beautiful slice of lasagna and all that cheese! Perfection!!

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Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere November 11, 2013 at 5:55 am

I have been craving a good lasagna. This looks delicious! (And I love the cheese history!)

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Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons November 12, 2013 at 8:05 am

This recipe is SO similar to my family’s recipe. Except, somewhere over the years, ricotta turned into cottage cheese. Probably because it was cheaper and more readily available in the small town I grew up in. But I’ve morphed it BACK to ricotta over the years, because the flavor can’t be beat!

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CSL December 4, 2015 at 10:19 am

Those just bake pasta sheets (no boiling required) make lasagna so easy and still delicious. Thanks for the recipe!

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Anne Papina December 22, 2015 at 4:29 pm

Yes, I’m a big fan of those sheets! Enjoy!

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Jen @ Keto Recipes January 30, 2018 at 3:44 am

Yey…. Lasagna! I’ll be having you this weekend 🙂 Thanks for sharing this recipe.

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