Join my Grandma Lorraine and I in the kitchen, as she teaches me how to cook her lasagna! This meal is traditionally served as an appetizer on holidays, though it could easily be consumed alone as a whole meal. As an appetizer, this recipe serves 12-14 people.

INGREDIENTS:
- Two 35oz cans Tomato Puree
- Two boxes Lasagna
- Grated Parmesan
- 2lbs Ground Beef (90% lean, 10% fat)
- 8 links Sweet Italian Sausage
- Large container of Whole Milk Ricotta
- 3pkgs 8oz Part Skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Olive Oil
- 1 whole head garlic
- Bay Leaves
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sugar

COOKING DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat up large sauce pot on medium heat. Add a coating of olive oil to the bottom.
2. Slice up 1 whole head of garlic. Add half to the heated pot and set the other half aside.
3. While the garlic is cooking, open your cans of puree.
4. Add 2-35oz cans of tomato puree to the sauce pot.
5. Add 4-35oz cans of water to the sauce pot.
6. Stir in remaining garlic.
7. Add 6 Bay leaves to sauce pot.
8. Add half a serving spoon of salt.
9. Add half a serving spoon of sugar.
10. Add olive oil to a frying pan.
11. Brown chopped meat. Add to sauce.
12. Brown sausage. Add to sauce.
13. Cook on low simmer for 4 hours. Taste the sauce to determine whether it needs more salt or sugar. For a spicier variation, add red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 hour more.
14. Remove from heat. Refrigerate over night.
15. The NEXT day: Remove sauce from fridge and allow to get to room temperature. Remove sausage from sauce pot. These are not served with the lasagna, but are usually served separately or incorporated into another meal. We just used them for flavoring here.
16. Boil water in a medium pot AND a large pot. Two pots are used to help cook more lasagne noodles at the same time.
17. Add about 12 pieces of lasagne to the boiling water in each pot. (Cook time based on box directions).
18. Once cooked, drain lasagna into strainer.
19. Begin stacking the lasagna (as seen in the video); noodles, sauce, cheese, repeat.
19. Put lasagna in oven on 400 for 1/2 hour.
20. Once cooked, it can be served the same day, but it is usually firmer after you let it set for one day more.
21. ENJOY!!

*Bonus: Sometimes meatballs are added to the sauce and cooked along with the sausage. :)

#italiancooking #lasagna #grandma

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