No Ricotta or Cottage Cheese Lasagna

I really like lasagna.  I don't make it very often though.  I find it tedious and kind of a pain to make.  My favorite lasagna is Rachael Ray's Mile High Lasagna.  If you've never made it, then you must!  It is not like any other lasagna you have eaten.  It's fantastic.  Unfortunately, it too, is tedious.  Subsequently, I don't make it very often either.  I think I've made it maybe 5 times in the past 5 years.  That being said, I really wanted lasagna tonight and I didn't have all the time in the world, because the boys are sickies right now.  So, I made up my own version of Mile High Lasagna.

Here's what I started out with, plus some shredded cheese.  I used monterey jack, because I didn't have mozzarella.

 red meat sauce

 bechamel sauce

 first layer of red meat sauce

 second layer of lasagna noodles

third layer of shredded cheese

fourth layer of bechamel sauce 

 fifth layer of noodles

 sixth layer of red meat sauce

 seventh layer of shredded cheese

 repeat steps and you should end up with the last two layers being red meat sauce and shredded cheese

 finished!

 half gone...

up close and personal...look at all of those cheesy saucy layers!!

Let's EAT!

RECIPE:

Lasagna noodles (I used 6)

shredded cheese

RED MEAT SAUCE:

1 package ground turkey

1TBL minced garlic

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

1 1/2 tsp parsley (approx)

1TBL Italian Seasoning (approx)

1/4 teaspoon paprika (approx)

salt/pepper to taste

1/2C red wine + a glass for the chef (I used pinot noir)

BECHAMEL SAUCE:

3TBL butter

3TBL flour

2C milk

pinch of nutmeg

pinch of salt

Start by preheating your oven to 350.  Next, cook your noodles till they are mostly done.  They will finish cooking in the oven.  While that is boiling, in another pan, brown your turkey meat in olive oil.  Add garlic, cans of tomatoes and sauce, parsley, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, pepper and wine.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes or so until the flavors meld together.

While this is simmering, melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat, once melted, add flour and whisk together.  Cook for a minute or so to get rid of the raw flour taste.  Add milk, nutmeg and salt and whisk until it starts to thicken.  Once this has thickened, take off of heat.  Now it's time for assembly.

Get a bread pan and put a layer of red meat sauce first.  Next are the noodles.  Then a layer of cheese.  Next the bechamel sauce.  Then another layer of noodle.  Then red meat sauce.  Then cheese.  Repeat these steps until you get to the top.  End with the red sauce and shredded cheese.  

Bake at 350 for approx 30 minutes.  Take out and cool for a bit before cutting.  Otherwise your layers won't hold together.  I think I let mine cool down for about 25 minutes (we were waiting on the hubs to come home).  Slice and serve and ENJOY!