Fairchild Family Cookbook, Lasagna by Lynda Briggs

My usual M.O. when trying new recipes is to follow them without any embellishments or changes so I can REALLY test the recipe, not my cooking instinct or prowess. This time I didn't quite stick to it.... reasons being a mix of using what I had in the house, and that it's LASAGNA! I have been making lasagna for thirty years and have some pretty specific tastes. This recipe taught me a culinary trick that I LOVE and will forever be using in every lasagna I make! Keep reading to find the trick! 

I've chosen to blog about this recipe because after not seeing my cousin Lynda for DECADES we recently met up on a trip to Florida and Walt Disney World.  We got to meet up and rehash some old times, meet each others' husbands and have a good time with good food (Polynesian Resort Bread pudding), good drinks (ask my sister Heather about the drink in a pineapple!), and a little more  ( A LOT MORE) walking time and car time than we bargained for! Do you know some roads around the Walt Disney World parks are closed after the parks close for the evening? I didn't! Heather didn't, and she and Ian, her husband, go two or three times a year, and neither did Lynda and Bill and they both work in the parks!  LOL! WHY DIDN'T WE TAKE ANY PHOTOS TOGETHER??

Here is the recipe as written in the cook book: 

I substituted: Italian seasoning blend for oregano and basil, mozzarella and Italian blend cheese for the Swiss, a mixture of ground beef and Italian sausage for the all Italian Sausage, and dried minced onion for the fresh onion.  Also, I ended up using two 24 oz. jars of sauce - a lot more than the recipe calls for!  I like my food to be saucy, just like me!

I should note that the Ricotta "carton" was 16 oz. 

I also used dehydrated minced onion, as I had no fresh onion on hand. 

I added it to the ground beef to get rehydrated by the fat and moisture from the meat for extra flavor. 

I had one cup of Italian sausage in the freezer, so that is what I used!

I was able to skip the step of boiling the noodles by using the Aldi type that do not need boiled. This is a big win for me. One reason I've only made lasagna occasionally is because I hate boiling the noodles and either handling them while they are hot or risking them all sticking together! Thanks Aldi for making new products available!

SEE BELOW FOR THE MAGIC TRICK!

Blending the Italian seasoning (oregano and basil in the recipe!) into the ricotta! 

Because my husband and I are both garlic lovers I decided to throw in some garlic powder as well!. This really made the ricotta a flavorful note in the finished dish.... It had the creaminess and the needed fat as usual, but the entire profile was "kicked up a notch" as one professional chef likes to say.  I will ALWAYS do this from now on when I make lasagna. Thanks, Lynda for putting this recipe in the family cookbook!

Layering it up!

Yummy!

Top view

Look at all those layers of deliciousness!

This was so hearty, warm and delicious. I served it with a salad for health's sake. 

I was so happy to make this recipe and learn a tasty new technique. Do you have any family recipes that you have tweaked - either because of new products available or just to adjust the flavors to you and your family? Let me know in the comments - maybe I'll learn something?