Last updated on January 14th, 2022 at 05:24 pm
Holidays, relationships, family, and traditions. When we were first married, I learned some of my wife’s family holiday traditions just as she learned some of mine. And one of her family’s biggest Christmas traditions was a huge family dinner featuring their lasagna recipe.
Though I’d had lasagna before, to me it was just another meal. But for her, it is a symbol of family and traditions. And so it became an important meal to learn how to make properly.
Many times my wife and I will work together in a tag team to make this recipe.
I will start off boiling the water, browning the beef, and seasoning the sauce. Then when it is all prepped, my wife will then start assembling the lasagna layer by layer. Together we throw it in the oven, make a few sides, and enjoy a family meal.
Simple Lasagna Recipe
Lasagna is all about the layers. Meat in a tomato sauce, noodles, and cheese. Lots and lots of cheese.
It starts with cooking the meat and doctoring up the tomato sauce. Adding in some garlic, onion, and herbs really helps up the sauce game.
Cook the noodles while the meat is browning and make sure all your mozzarella and parmesan are shredded and ready to go. Then it is a matter of layering and baking.
The number of layers you get may depend on how deep your pan is, but most 9 x 13 pans should fully fit this recipe. I recommend having a kind of assembly area set up with your pan in the center and all of the layer ingredients nearby. Then just stack up all the layers basically until your ingredients are gone.
Once you’ve layered and baked it right, you’ll have a dish oozing with cheesy flavor and packed with perfectly seasoned sauce.
Bread and Other Accompaniments
Maybe more than any other food, my wife loves bread. So I guess it just makes sense that this lasagna recipe goes perfectly with bread of all varieties. The bread is great to mop up the leftover red sauce as you eat the lasagna. Because you don’t want any of that to go to waste.
Pair this with any kind of bread – dinner rolls, garlic knots, garlic bread, cheesy bread, focaccia, ciabatta, sourdough…
But bread is not the only pairing for lasagna. For other side dishes, try any of the following:
- Roasted Asparagus
- Caesar Salad
- Garlic Butter Sauteed Green Beans
- Simple Side Salad
So bring your favorite bread and side to join in with this delicious oven dish.
How did yours turn out?
I’d love to hear when you try out this lasagna recipe! Take a pic of your food and share your success with me by adding it to your Instagram stories or feed, and tagging me @doyouroux, or by using #doyouroux.
Plus, leave a rating to let me know how you liked the recipe. It helps me out a lot to know how things worked out… or didn’t.
Rodda Family Christmas Three-Cheese Lasagna
Course: DinnerDifficulty: Intermediate10
servings30
minutes1
hour1
hour30
minutesFamily favorite three-cheese lasagna recipe with a deliciously flavored meat sauce, tons of gooey cheese, and a perfectly browned top
Ingredients
1 package lasagna noodles (16 oz)
3 pounds ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
4 cups prepared tomato sauce
3 cups cottage cheese
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
9 oz fresh mozzarella
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Set a large pot of salted water over high heat, bring it to a boil, add in the lasagna noodles, and cook until al dente according to package directions
- While the water is heating, brown the beef in a large skillet over medium heat
- Drain the fat from the beef after it has fully browned
- Add the garlic, onion, oregano, basil, thyme, and parsley to the beef and cook for 3 to 5 minutes while stirring
- Pour the tomato sauce over the beef, stir to combine, and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Get a 9″ x 13″ baking pan and gather together the cooked noodles, beef in red sauce, and various cheeses to begin assembly
- Spread about 1/2 cup of meat and sauce into the bottom of the pan
- Place down noodles in an even layer to cover the meat sauce
- On top of the noodles, evenly spread about 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups of the meat in red sauce
- On top of the meat sauce, evenly spread about 1 cup shredded mozzarella, 1 cup cottage cheese, and 1 tablespoon parmesan
- Repeat steps 8 through 10 two more times for a total of three layers of each ingredient
- Add one more layer of noodles on top of the cheese, spread the remaining meat sauce over the noodles, and then cover it with an even layer of fresh mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- Place it in the oven to bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cheese on top is fully melted and bubble
- For slight browning on top when it has finished baking, switch your oven to broil and let the lasagna broil for about 3 minutes until the cheese on top is nicely browned – watch it carefully to avoid burning
- Let the lasagna cool for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving
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