Recipe: Chuck's Las Vegas Lasagna (with Mushroom Meat Sauce)

LAS VEGAS LASAGNA

"For the Family..."

FOR THE MEAT SAUCE:
3 lbs lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped, divided use
Italian seasoning blend (crushed marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme)
Garlic salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 cans (15 oz each) Hunt's Italian tomato sauce
1 (28 oz) can Contadina crushed tomatoes (labeled with either Italian Herbs or garlic)
1 (14 1/2 oz) can Del Monte Diced Tomatoes, seasoned with Basil, Garlic, and Oregano
1/4 cup water
Basil (dried fresh from the garden is best)
1 pkg. fresh mushrooms, quartered
2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
3 to 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 1/2 lbs)
FOR THE LASAGNA:
Lasagna noodles (for 2 layers)
Small container of cottage cheese (you don't want to use it all)

One large glass Corning Ware oblong pan or, if desired, 2 deep aluminum (throwaway) pans (large bread loaf size) can be used. You can freeze these and serve later in the week! All you have to do is cover the pans first with some type of plastic cling wrap then aluminum foil and freeze. (The plastic protects the foil from reacting with the tomato sauce. Just don't forget to remove the plastic before cooking in the oven!)

TO PREPARE THE MEAT MIXTURE:
Set hamburger into large electric skillet and add half of the chopped onion, a good sprinkle of the Italian seasoning blend (don't overdo or flavor is too strong), sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper; cook until well done.

Drain most juice off. Add all tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup water (you can use this to rinse out all the good stuff of the tomato cans!)

Take about 1 tablespoon basil (more if you like) and roll/crush in palms while sprinkling into sauce. Add mushrooms and chopped garlic.

Stir well until boiling, then let simmer to flavor well and cook off excess liquid. About 1 hour from start time, add remaining onions. Important to leave the skillet lid off allowing water to cook off.

Once the excess water has cooked off let simmer for another hour, stirring occasionally, allowing the mixture to thicken. Turn off and let cool 15 to 20 minutes.

TO PREPARE THE LASAGNA NOODLES:
While the meat mixture is cooling, boil water for lasagna noodles. A deep pan is needed for this. The noodles only need to soften, do not cook thoroughly! Once boiled for a few minutes drain immediately and slowly add cool water to noodles.

TO ASSEMBLE THE LASAGNA:
In bottom of pan(s) lay in a skim of cooked meat sauce and lay first layer of noodles. Add sauce to fully cover noodles and then add several dollops of cottage cheese (don't overdo now) sporadically around the top. Completely cover with half of the mozzarella cheese (a quarter of the cheese if using 2 aluminum pans to freeze) then add second layer the same way.

If using an oblong baking dish or cake pans, bake in the oven at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes.

If freezing the unbaked lasagna for later use, cover the two aluminum pans sideways with the plastic wrap. This will require two strips, but helps to stop freezer burn, and cover with final aluminum foil wrap and freeze. These will take most of the day to thaw out, but are ready for the oven at the end of a long hard workday. The frozen pans also make excellent gifts for friends moving into a new home, or for those times when everyone might be too tired to cook or go out.

Hey, don't forget the garlic bread, a nice bottle of wine and a small salad (with Italian dressing... of course!).

From: Chuck, NV - 10-04-99