Million Dollar Italian Lasagna Recipe
Million Dollar Italian Lasagna Recipe is rich, cheesy and full of comfort. It tastes like a special meal from a fine restaurant.
Ingredients
- Lasagna noodles – 12 sheets
- Olive oil – 1 tablespoon
- Ground beef – 1 pound
- Onion chopped – 1 medium
- Garlic minced – 3 cloves
- Marinara sauce – 32 ounces
- Salt – 1 teaspoon
- Black pepper – ½ teaspoon
- Italian seasoning – 1 teaspoon
- Ricotta cheese – 1½ cups
- Cream cheese softened – 8 ounces
- Sour cream – ½ cup
- Mozzarella cheese shredded – 3 cups
- Parmesan cheese grated – ¾ cup
- Fresh basil or parsley – 2 tablespoons
Instructions
Cook the noodles
- Boil lasagna noodles in salted water. Cook until tender. Drain and lay flat to cool.
Cook the meat
- Heat oil in skillet. Add beef and onion. Cook until brown and fully cooked.
Add garlic and spices
- Add garlic, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Stir and cook for one minute.
Add sauce
- Pour marinara sauce into skillet. Mix well. Simmer for ten minutes on low heat.
Make cheese mixture
- Mix ricotta, cream cheese, sour cream and one cup mozzarella until smooth.
Preheat oven
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a large baking dish.
Start layering
- Spread a thin sauce layer in dish. Add noodles evenly over the sauce.
Add cheese layer
- Spread cheese mixture over noodles. Add meat sauce on top evenly.
Repeat layers
- Repeat noodles, cheese mixture and meat sauce until all ingredients are used.
Add final cheese
- Top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese evenly.
Bake lasagna
- Cover with foil. Bake for 35 minutes until hot and bubbling.
Brown the top
- Remove foil. Bake 10 more minutes until cheese is golden.
Rest before serving
- Let lasagna rest for ten minutes. Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
Notes
- Use full-fat cheese for best flavor.
- Let cream cheese soften before mixing.
- Do not overcook noodles before baking.
- Resting helps layers stay firm.
- Add vegetables for extra nutrition.