*Lasagna

* This is my personal lasagna recipe, and I promise, it is the best you'll ever eat!  I've honestly never had any at a restaurant or anywhere else that is better than this! 

Total Time Involved:  2 hours

Prep Time:  1 hour 35 minutes

Bake Time:  25 minutes

(Prep time includes: cooking the pasta, chopping garlic & onion, cooking the ground beef and making the meat sauce, grating the cheeses, and assembling the complete dish prior to baking. If you spend the extra money and buy pre-shredded cheese then it would save you some time. Also, this is assuming that you are doing all the work by yourself. If you have other family members helping you, it won't take quite as long.)

1 lb ground chuck

12 oz pkg lasagna noodles (about 12 noodles)

1 medium yellow onion

2 large cloves garlic

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

6 oz tomato paste

2 large eggs

32 oz ricotta cheese

8 oz block mozzarella 

8 oz block sharp cheddar

1/2 c grated Parmesan, ¼ c for topping and ¼ c for cheese in dish

2 Tbsp dried parsley

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp basil

1 tsp salt (if tomatoes say ''no salt added'' you may need more salt)

¼ tsp black pepper

Chop up onion and garlic very fine and add to ground chuck. Brown meat in a skillet with onions and garlic until thoroughly cooked. Drain off as much excess grease as possible. 

Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, parsley, oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 25 minutes. 

While the sauce is simmering, prepare a pot of boiling salted water for the lasagna noodles. Cook them for about 7 minutes only. They will finish cooking later in the oven. 

Mix the two eggs in a bowl with the ricotta cheese. In another bowl grate the cheddar cheese and the mozzarella and stir together.  Add ¼ cup Parmesan to cheddar and mozzarella.  When the sauce mixture and the noodles are finished cooking set them aside. 

In a 9 x 13 baking dish, lay 3 to 4 noodles across the bottom slightly overlapping. Spread about 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Then spread 1/2 the meat and sauce mixture. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the Cheddar/Mozzarella/Parmesan mix over the sauce. Next repeat this process with another layer.  After the second layer of meat and sauce mixture you will cover the top with the remaining four or five noodles. Spread the last 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the top and then sprinkle with the last 1/3 of the Cheddar/Mozzarella/Parmesan mix. Sprinkle the other ¼ cup Parmesan cheese over the top of the dish as well. Bake at 375° for about 25 minutes. Allow the dish to set for a few minutes after removing from oven before serving. 

Use about a 1/3 of the ricotta mixture on the first layer. You will use another 1/3 on the second layer and the last 1/3 as part of the topping.

Use 1/2 of the meat sauce on your first layer and the other 1/2 on the second layer. 

1st full layer complete. Repeat with noodles, ricotta mixture, meat sauce, and shredded cheeses.  Then add one more layer of noodles and top with remaining ricotta mixture and shredded cheeses. You should have two complete layers and one layer of noodles with cheese for topping.