This dish never fails to wow my dinner party guests

Oven-Baked Beef and Cheese Lasagna is the ultimate family-friendly meal. By simmering the sauce with fragrant herbs and layering it with a creamy ricotta-egg mixture, you get the perfect combination of hearty meat and gooey, melted cheese that makes this Italian-American classic irresistible.

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Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce:

Ingredient	Amount
Ground beef	1 lb
Onion, chopped	1
Garlic, minced	2 cloves
Crushed tomatoes	1 can (28 oz)
Tomato paste	2 tbsp
Dried basil	1 tsp
Dried oregano	1 tsp
Salt and pepper	To taste

For the Layers:

Ingredient	Amount
Lasagna noodles	9
Ricotta cheese	15 oz
Egg	1
Mozzarella, shredded	3 cups
Parmesan, grated	1 cup

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Instructions

1. Make the Meat Sauce
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef, onion, and garlic until the beef is browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.

2. Prepare the Noodles and Ricotta
Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk ricotta cheese with the egg until smooth.

3. Assemble the Lasagna

• Base Layer: Spread a thin layer of meat sauce in a 9×13-inch baking dish.
• First Layer: Place 3 noodles over the sauce, spread half the ricotta mixture on top, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/3 of the Parmesan.
• Second Layer: Repeat with remaining ricotta, another 1/3 of mozzarella, and 1/3 of Parmesan.
• Top Layer: Place the final 3 noodles, cover with the remaining meat sauce, and top with the last of the mozzarella and Parmesan.

4. Bake
Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 25 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.

5. Rest
Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before slicing to help the layers set.

Pro Tip: Lightly spray the underside of the foil with non-stick spray to prevent cheese from sticking.