MeeMaw's Lasagna

My husband's all time favorite dinner is lasagna. Particularly my grandmother's famous lasagna. I am blessed to have come from a long line of fantastic cooks. As you may remember, my grandmother hand wrote me an entire cookbook full of our family's favorite and famous recipes as a shower gift to me when Lee and I got married. (Click here for more recipes from her cookbook) I love this cookbook so much that it never leaves my kitchen counter. It's incredibly special to me, but also full of delectable recipes.

After being asked by my sweet friend, Whitney, here is my grandmother's lasagna recipe for all of you to enjoy as well! (Please excuse the "dash of this and dash of that" as the ladies in my family never make things the same twice.. It's all by memory and changes from day to day-- I know, I know, I'm sorry!)

Ingredients:
2 lb. ground chuck, drained
Lasagna noodles, cooked
1 large onion (I use about half because Lee doesn't like onion very much)
2 T. Italian season (roughly.. sometimes I add more if it tastes like it needs more)
2-3 cloves of freshly pressed (preferably) or chopped garlic
1 T. parsley flakes
1 Large jar of Prego Spaghetti Sauce (more if you prefer more of a saucy lasagna)
1 can of tomatoes
1-2 T. Brown sugar (I typically add 3-4, I like a sweet sauce. Again, taste and add more as needed)
Parmesan cheese
Large bag of Mozzarella cheese
Ricotta cheese
2 Beaten eggs

Directions:
Brown Ground Chuck, drain. Sauté onion. Add italian season, garlic, parsley flakes, prego sauce, tomatoes and brown sugar. Stir. Let simmer 1-1 1/2 hours, string often. Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles, rinse, drain. Grease large dish (preferably a deep dish). Put a little sauce on the bottom and then put a layer of noodles on bottom. Spoon a good amount of sauce over noodles. Next beat 2 eggs w/fork. Put ricotta cheese in bowl and add beaten eggs. Mix well. Add several dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over sauce layer. Then sprinkle parmesan cheese (freshly grated is better) over this. Next add grated Mozarella cheese over it. The repeat layers, starting over with noodles, sauce, cheeses, etc. End layers with grated Mozarella cheese. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes till cheese is lightly browned on top and it is heated all the way through.  Let sit for a few minutes before cutting into squares.

Add a salad or green beans with garlic bread and I promise it won't disappoint anyone at the table! It's a huge hit for any crowd I've ever made it for.

[Forewarning: it does take some time to prepare so plan accordingly.]

This can also be made ahead of time-- the day before and refrigerate. Leftovers can be frozen for another meal!

I use this same sauce recipe for spaghetti or other kinds of pasta. Leftover spaghetti sauce can be frozen. You can put it back into the empty prego sauce jar (make sure to leave a little space at the top for it to expand in freezer). --per Meemaw =)

Hope you all enjoy my Meemaw's Lasagna as much as Lee and I do!

P.S. If you make it, let me know how it goes. =)