Wednesday, March 6, 2013

A Year with PW: Lasagna

I made Pioneer Woman's lasagna tonight. I used her cookbook, but a very similar recipe can be found HERE. I'm about to give a few helpful hints that will not be necessary at all if you follow the online version of this recipe. But I didn't know that until now.

Let's start with a few helpful hints to begin with. I am not clear on why her order of operations is: grate cheese, boil noodles, make sauce, make cheese sauce, assemble, bake. Please let it be known that I think you should start sauce first. Like 30 minutes before anything else. It has to simmer for 45 minutes so your cheese is just sitting there. And yes, you could put it in the fridge, but you could also grate it while the sauce is simmering. So my order of operations would be: sauce, boil noodles, grate cheese, make cheese sauce, assemble, bake.

Next, be sure that when you make your grocery list you include everything you need. *Ahem.* This calls for THREE cups of cottage cheese (although Eddie wasn't brave so we still used ricotta). One regular container of cheese isn't three cups. It's two. And while we're at it, flat leaf parsley is not the same as curly.

Also, it's best to start this recipe around 4pm if you'd like to eat at, say, 6pm. The sauce takes over an hour (browning meat + simmering 45 minutes) and then it all has to bake 35-45 minutes. Just be aware. The natives get restless if you don't get it to the table on time.

Aside from that, this went beautifully!

This was really yummy! Aside from James acting like he was dying (no, really...acting out like he was choking and dying) when he accidentally ate the sauce, this was great! We'll definitely eat it again, although I'll follow the online version. And I might try to sneak the cottage cheese in just to try it!

Yea! It was a winner!

Other recaps here:
Spicy Shredded Pork
Simple, Perfect Enchiladas and Mexican Rice
Perfect Pot Roast and Mashed Potatoes

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