Pizza Lasagna

My seven year old little boy loves it when I make lasagna.  Noodles, beef, tomato sauce, cheese…all good.  On this particular night, he helped me make a Pizza Lasagna.  His two favorite foods in one dish.  I love it when my kids get excited about dinner!  Happy eating!

This recipe serves six to eight.

Shopping List
1 pound of ground beef
1 pound of bulk Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 (28 oz) can of whole tomatoes (I love San Marzano)
1 (6 oz) can of tomato paste
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
about a cup of grated Parmesan cheese (reserve some for garnish)
about a pound of sliced pepperoni
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 box of lasagna noodles (I like the kind you don’t have to boil first!)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease (I use Pam) a 9×13 baking dish.  Set aside.

In a pot over medium-high heat, brown your beef and Italian sausage in a big drizzle of EVOO.  Once browned and crumbly, stir in your chopped onion and garlic.  Saute about five minutes or until the onions are tender.  Next, stir in your whole tomatoes and lightly break them up with a wooden spoon or spatula.  Stir in your tomato paste, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.  Reduce the heat to low and allow everything to simmer about 10 minutes.  After that, you’re ready to assemble.

Place a third of your meat mixture down across the bottom of your prepared baking dish.  Next, sprinkle over a third of your mozzarella followed by a layer of pepperoni and a row of lasagna noodles.  Repeat once more.  After that, spread the remaining third of your meat mixture down over the lasagna noodles followed by more pepperoni and the rest of your mozzarella.

Pop your lasagna in the oven and bake uncovered about 35 to 40 minutes or until the edges of your noodles brown up a bit and it’s nice and bubbly.

Remove from oven and allow to sit about 5 minutes before cutting into squares.  Serve with a garnish of Parmesan.

A crowd pleasing supper…no matter your age!

Enjoy!