Kids Night to Cook!

Madeleine was our chef this evening and she chose lasagna and salad for her menu. She was excited to be able to make lasagna just the way she likes it--- with meat, without spinach and with a limited amount of cheese. She is a natural in the kitchen and although Madeleine is not exacting in her cooking, the way she added the ricotta to each layer of her lasagna was incredibly precise. We loved her dinner!

Sauteing the meat like a pro

Madeleine adds the ricotta very precisely

The lasagna is ready to bake

The baked masterpiece-yum!

Madeleine's Lasagna

1 1/2  pounds lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 pound ground beef
2 jars pasta sauce (we love Mezzetta Homemade Style Marinara when we don't have time to make our own sauce)
1 15 ounce container ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375° Cook pasta according to directions.

In large skillet, saute onion until translucent over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add ground beef and garlic and brown well. Add 1 and 1/3 jars of sauce to meat and bring to boil.

Spray 9x13" pan with cooking spray .Pour half of remaining sauce on the bottom of pan.
Layer 4 sheets of lasagna noodles, top with 1/3 of meat sauce mixture, 1/3 ricotta and 1/3 of mozzarella. Repeat for 2 more layers.

On the top layer, pour remaining jar of marinara sauce and top with a little more mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!