Episode 2: Refrigerator Cooking Basic Ass Lasagna

TRIGGER ALERT WARNING:

This is a recipe for lasagna…a basic ass recipe for lasagna. Here are a few things to consider before you read any further or subject yourself to something you might find offensive:

1. I am *not* Italian. The great people of Italy and her descendants may or may not approve of this recipe.
2. Do not serve this to your Italian grandma. She may not love you anymore. Or, she will love you way more. It’s a crap shoot. May the odds be ever in your favor.
3. This is recipe is still delicious.

Ok, if your lasagna purist panties are all unbunched, it’s ok to continue reading.

In this second “refrigerator cooking” post, I will discuss how to make a basic lasagna. I gathered left over cheeses, discount meat, and a partially used jar of tomato sauce to make this recipe. I also cleverly whizzed up about 3 cups of kale in the food processor and added it in. You can’t taste the kale and the dish feels healthier, and less like your ass is getting fatter just thinking about it.

BASIC ASS LASAGNA

Recipe yields enough for 1 9×3 pan, about 4-6 servings, depending on how hungry y’all are

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning mix
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Pre-chopped kale blitzed in a food processor or cut up finely
• 1/2 an onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3/4 of ground beef
• 2 cups of jarred tomato sauce (or more to your liking)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 9 or more lasagna noodles / sheets
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 1/2 cup Italian blend cheese
• *a small piece of foil and a 9×3 inch pan sprayed with non-stick spray*

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F.
2. Begin to boil the noodles in heavily salted water. Boil according to package directions.
3. Add the olive oil to the pan. Allow it to heat up over medium hit.
4. Chop the onion and add it to the pan. Sprinkle it with a bit of salt. Let it saute until slightly brown and softened.
5. Add the kale or other leafy vegetables. Stir. Cook for 3 minutes.
6. Add the garlic. Stir. Cook until fragrant.
7. Add the ground beef. Break up and stir into the vegetables. Add salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and stir. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until browned. Drain the mixture if desired. I used 90/10 ground beef, so draining was not necessary.
8. Add the tomato sauce. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
9. Spray the bottom of your cooking dish with the non-stick spray.
10. Assemble the lasagna in this order, repeating to make layers, until you run out of ingredients: noodles, meat sauce, cheeses.
11. Lightly spray a piece of foil with non-stick spray. Cover the dish and bake at 375F for approximately 30 minutes.
12. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting and serving.

Just a reminder: I’m a YouTuber now! Pop on over to YouTube to subscribe to my new channel!

Click here to go to my YouTube Channel and watch a video of me preparing this dish!