Hi guys! I’ve shared a lot with you over the years, but never my sinful four cheese lasagna recipe. The timing is perfect now that autumn is in full swing. Except in south Florida. I’m not kidding, it’s been above average temps here and there doesn’t appear to be any end in the sight. Buy hey, let me make lasagna! It’s been in the high 80’s and mid 90’s with high humidity still. The nights at least are cooling down, so there’s that.

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Did I tell you guys I bought a pottery wheel? Yah, about a month ago on a whim, I’m like, I think I’ll buy a pottery wheel and set up a studio in our already cramped garage that the mister has possession of approximately 97.9 percent. The other 2.1% is taken up by a steel cabinet with all my food props. Oh, and a wheel chair and crutches from my broken knee recovery are squeezed in between man things.

You should have seen his face when I told him I bought a pottery wheel and I was going to set up a studio in the garage. From what I could tell from his expression and furrowed eyebrows, he seemed pretty excited about it.

I’ve never thrown clay on the wheel in my life! But in my head, I’m already a gifted pottery artist. It’s still in the box in the garage, but I’ve scheduled a one on one wheel throwing class with an instructor at a local studio. I’m so excited to learn how to make pottery. My goal is to make pieces for food styling photos. It can get pretty expensive buying props for food photography. Plus, it will be nice to make custom pieces that fit my specific style and personality. Did I already say I’m really super excited? Ok, did I say the mister was excited about it too? Riiiiight!

Switching gears, One thing that I’m an expert at is making lasagna. I know because I’ve been making it for over 30 years, but never once in my food blog history have I shared my recipe with you guys. It’s high time we change that. This recipe is something I’ve perfected over the years. It’s involves four types of cheese and so ooey gooey delicious! The meat sauce is lightly sweet and jammed packed with hot sausage and beef. The meat is purely optional, but I think it flavors and adds depth to the sauce.

Let’s begin with a homemade sauce. Feel free to use jarred sauce. I’m no Judgey McJudgerson over here. I personally don’t use jar sauce all that much unless I’m really pressed for time. Today was Sunday, so I had loads of time. Ready? Let’s get cooking. You might also love my homemade meatballs and sauce recipe.

Ever wonder about the history of lasagna?

Sinful Four Cheese Lasagna:

Sinful Four Cheese Lasagna Directions:

In a large skillet brown your ground hot Italian sausage over medium heat. Be careful not to overcook it. It’s going to cook down more in the sauce as well. Once browned set aside.

In a large deep pot on medium heat, add beef salt & pepper and cook until brown. Drain off almost all the fat but reserve a little to sweat the onion and garlic. *Tip…I use a turkey baster and suck up all the juices right from the pot while it’s cooking, that way I don’t have to try to lift a hot heavy pot to drain the fat.

Just before the beef is completely browned, add in sausage with the beef and finish cooking. Push the meat mixture over to one side of the pot. Add in chopped onions and sauté until clear. Add in minced garlic and cook for about a minute. Add a small can of tomato paste and stir until well mixed in.

Next, add in two 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes, one 17 oz can of tomato sauce, and 1/4 cup water. Stir well. Add in 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1/2 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese, and fresh chopped basil, oregano, and parsley. Turn sauce down to low and simmer for at least an hour.

In the meantime, prepare your ricotta cheese mixture. In a large bowl add 10 oz large curd cottage cheese, 12 oz ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix in chopped basil, oregano, and parsley and one egg. Blend well and set aside in the fridge.

In a large heavy deep pot fill 3/4 full with water, add 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, and 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a rolling boil on high heat. When water begins to boil, carefully add 1pound box of lasagna noodles. I add mine in one at a time and alternate the way I put them in the pot, to reduce the chance of them sticking together.

Cook the noodles just under al dente, as they will finish cooking when you bake them in the oven. Strain the noodles and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Carefully lay your noodles out one by one and layer on paper towels to dry.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Now it’s time to assemble your masterpiece. Cover the bottom of your casserole dish a layer of meat sauce. Now lay your noodles over the sauce vertically. (III) Spread a layer of the four cheese mixture over the noodles. Next, add a layer of sauce on top of that.

Now, just repeat and alternate your layers, but the next layer should be parallel. (=) I typically only do 3 layers of noodles. But feel free to add all the layers! I recently downsized my lasagna dish because I don’t think we need a vat of lasagna for 2 people.

When you have added your last layer of noodles, top it with a generous portion of the meat sauce and top the sauce with a small amount of mozzarella cheese. Relax, you’ll get to add more right before it’s done. You will probably have extra sauce left over. I usually just freeze mine for a quick week night spaghetti & meat sauce dinner.

Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees on middle rack for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes top with more mozzarella cheese and broil on high until cheese melts. Watch carefully, because it can burn rather fast.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least one half hour. Slicing into a piping hot lasagna will only make your dish a pool of sauce, cheese and noodles. And nobody wants that. Unless lasagna soup was what you’re going for. Trust me on this one. Drink a glass of vino and just wait.

Buon appetito!

Recipe Type: Dinner Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Sherri @ The Kitchen Prescription

Prep time: 1 hour 30 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 2 hours 15 mins

Serves: 8-12 servings

Four cheese lasagna so oogey gooey good!

Ingredients

• MEAT SAUCE:
• 1 1/2 pound ground chuck
• 1 1/2 pound ground hot Italian sausage
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon peeper
• Two 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
• 17 oz can tomato sauce
• 8 oz can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 medium chopped red onion
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 large chopped basil leaves
• 2 teaspoons chopped oregano (fresh if possible)
• 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• FOUR CHEESE MIXTURE:
• 16 oz container large curd cottage cheese
• 12 oz container ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 chopped basil leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano
• 1/2 Tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
• ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:
• 1 pound of lasagna noodles
• Extra mozzarella cheese for topping

Instructions

1. MEAT SAUCE
2. In a large deep pot brown ground chuck over medium heat.
3. /4 teaspoon salt & 1/8 teaspoon pepper to taste.
4. Drain off almost all the fat but reserve a little to sweat onion and garlic. *
5. Tip…I use a turkey baster and suck up all the juices right from the pot while it’s cooking, that way I don’t have to try and lift a heavy pot to drain the fat.
6. Just before the beef is browned, add in sausage and mix well.
7. Push beef and sausage over to one side of the pot.
8. Add in chopped onions and sauté until clear.
9. Add in minced garlic and cook for about a minute.
10. Add small can of tomato paste and stir until well mixed in with meat mixture.
11. Next add in two 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes, one 17 oz can of tomato sauce, and 1/4 cup water.
12. Stir well.
13. Add in 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1/2 cup fresh shredded parmesan cheese, and fresh chopped basil, oregano, and parsley.
14. Stir well
15. Turn sauce down to low and simmer for at least an hour.In the meantime, prepare your ricotta cheese mixture.
16. FOUR CHEES MIXTURE:
17. In a large bowl add 10 oz large curd cottage cheese, 12 oz ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.
18. Salt and pepper to taste.
19. Mix in chopped basil, oregano, and parsley and one egg.
20. Blend well and set aside in the fridge.
21. In a large heavy deep pot fill 3/4 full with water, add 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, and 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a rolling boil on high heat.
22. When water begins to boil, carefully add 1pound box of lasagna noodles.
23. *Tip: add mine in one at a time and alternate the way putting them in the pot, to reduce the chance of them sticking together.
24. Cook the noodles just under al dente, as they will finish cooking when you bake them in the oven. Strain the noodles and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
25. Carefully lay your noodles out one by one and layer on paper towels to dry.
26. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
27. Cover the bottom of your casserole dish a layer of meat sauce.
28. Lay your noodles over the sauce vertically. (III)
29. Spread a layer of the four cheese mixture over the noodles.
30. Add a layer of sauce on top of cheese mixture.
31. Repeat and alternate your layers.
32. Next layer should be parallel. (—)
33. When you have added your last layer of noodles, top it with a generous portion of the meat sauce and top with a small amount of mozzarella cheese.
34. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees on middle rack for 45 minutes.
35. After 45 minutes top with more mozzarella cheese and broil on high until cheese melts.
36. Watch carefully, because it can burn rather fast.
37. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 1/2 hour.