meatball lasagna
Everyone here has a lasagna recipe, and I can tell you just by looking at some of them they are really darned good! My lasagna is made with mini meatballs and chunks of Italian sausage. Why bother to make meatballs? The texture of the lasagna changes from flat layers to big fat chunks of meat layers in a sky-high lasagna. Make your sauce the day before for the best flavor. Using hot sauce makes the lasagna soupy.
Blue Ribbon Recipe
A tasty twist on an Italian classic. It's like a traditional lasagna but with meatballs rather than meat sauce. Super hearty, this main meal is full of meatballs, savory ricotta cheese, and gooey mozzarella. This takes a while to prep and bake, so we suggest reserving it for a special occasion. It will serve a crowd, and the recipe makes a massive lasagna. When assembled, it might have been 10 pounds!
Ingredients
- 90 ounces homemade marinara sauce or purchased marinara sauce (my recipe is on file as spaghetti sauce and meatballs)
- 2 pounds ground round
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 1 pound Italian bulk sausage
- 1 1/2 pounds shredded mozarella cheese
- 24 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 large eggs
- - enough lasagna noodles to cover your lasagna pan 3 times; my pan is just huge
How To Make meatball lasagna
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Step 1Make meatballs by combining ground round, Parmesan cheese, egg, and Italian bread crumbs. Make small meatballs just under one inch around. Line 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil, and spray with Pam (no cleanup). Place meatballs in a single layer. Go ahead and chunk your sausage in chunks the size of the meatballs and put them in a single layer too. -
Step 2Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.
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Step 3At this point, put my sauce or store-bought sauce on the stovetop or in a slow cooker lined with a disposable liner.
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Step 4Submerge the cooked meatballs and sausage in the sauce. If making in the slow cooker, cook on low for 8 hours. If using a store-bought sauce, simmer for about an hour on the stovetop.
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Step 5Cook lasagna noodles and drain.
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Step 6Mix ricotta and eggs; set aside.
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Step 7Spray the lasagna pan with Pam and put a layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan.
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Step 8Cover with a layer of lasagna noodles.
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Step 9Put a layer of sauce, meatballs, and sausage on top of the lasagna noodles.
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Step 10Drop blobs of ricotta mixture randomly.
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Step 11Sprinkle a third of the mozzarella cheese.
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Step 12Top the cheese with a layer of lasagna noodles,
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Step 13Repeat the meat mixture, ricotta mixture, and another 1/3rd of the cheese. End with a layer of lasagna noodles and sauce.
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Step 14Cover tightly and cook on low 325 degrees for 3 hours. In the last 10 minutes, sprinkle the remainder of the mozzarella.
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Step 15When you remove from the oven, allow to set for 15 minutes before you cut into it.
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Step 16One more thing. I always make my sauce and meatballs the day before. Putting hot sauce on hot noodles might result in watery lasagna. Make sure the lasagna noodles are well drained.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
