It's Lasagna Time!

This is our last week of food prep for the 8th graders. It was Italian Cuisine Week. Their lab was lasagna. Doesn't that picture restore your faith that kids can cook?

This is prepared in a 8/9 in. square pan, 4 large sized (or 6 modest) servings and made with no-boil noodles! The kids love making this. On their 'eating' day...I chuckle to myself because I can see they just can't get over how something so good was made by their own hands!

Sorry we don't have a step by step pictorial for you today. I had a sick day with the stomach flu so we were crazed to catch up and get 5 lasagnas done in one day (2 during lunchtime and 3 during class) in order to have them done for our 'eating' day. Let's be for real here, we can't prep, clean, bake and eat all on one day! We prep one day and eat the next! I am even a nicer teacher who makes their kids garlic bread to eat with it! I truly think this lasagna is so good because they sit in the fridge overnight. Those flavors can really blend when allowed to sit for a day!

Lasagna a la 8th grade
(no-boil noodle variety or just wet standard noodle-yes, no cooking)

Saute in a skillet: 1 diced onion
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp oil

Then add 1/2 pound ground beef or turkey- brown and crumble

Then add: 29 oz. tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. salt
pinch pepper

Grate 1/2 lb of mozzarella and divide into three piles and reserve...

Take out 1/2 cup of the sauce and keep it on low until you have finished layers.

To layer the noodles:

1. Spread 1/2 c. sauce in the bottom a square baking pan.

2. Cover with a layer of 2 noodles. (wet them first with water).

3. Top with 1/3 portion of the mozzarella cheese (grated ahead of time).

4. Then top with 1/2 c. ricotta cheese by teaspoonsful at a time and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

5. Top with 1/2 cup sauce.

Very important:
Repeat steps 2-5 to create one more layer.

Cover lasagna with remaining cheese, spray non-stick spray on foil and cover. Put in refrigerator over night.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 min.
Allow to Lasagna to stand 10-15 min. before serving so cheese will set.

Look how those noodles just almost grow out the pan because they absorb so much of the tomato sauce!

What a great way to send off for Spring Break!