HEART-CLOGGING LASAGNA RECIPE

It says "random posts" on this blog description, so here is a random recipe post. I recently made my lasagna for a group of 20 and it went over well, so some people asked me for the recipe. I never wrote it down, so I finally did it and now I'll share it you guys. I'm from Chicago, so this is not for the health-conscious crowd. Also I'm a "feel" person when it comes to cooking, so the measurements might be slightly off, but please feel free to adjust:

lasagna noodles (1 box is more than enough. 9 pieces is what you need)
1 1/2 lbs. of Ricotta cheese (comes on 1 lb. containers, so 2 of these)
4 cups of Mozzarella cheese
2 1/2 cups of Parmesan cheese
1 lb. of ground beef
2 lbs. of Italian sausage (six links. spicy is best)
2 jars of spaghetti sauce (your favorite or something with some flavoring, such as tomato basil)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons of oregano
2 teaspoons of basil
1 egg
salt & pepper

You need a large, deep casserole tray to make this. First, prep the meat. Take the ground beef and brown it with some salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of oregano, and 1 teaspoon of basil. Of course, you can adjust the spices according to your liking. Cook until brown and drain the juices. Put aside on the stove or in a bowl.

Take the Italian sausages and cut length-wise down the middle. As you cook this, start to break the meat apart, so it looks like the ground beef. You might need to cut it up by taking it out and putting it back in the frying pan.

In a large bowl, take the Ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the Mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of basil, and 1 egg. Mix well.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Pour a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the tray and then put a layer of three lasagna noodles on top closely together. Take the cheese mix and spread it evenly on top of these noodles. Take the ground beef and spread the whole amount evenly on top of the cheese. Scatter some Italian sausage on top of the ground beef. Top with a cup of Mozzarella cheese. Pour a light layer of spaghetti sauce over everything.

Take another layer of lasagna noodles and place on top of the first layer. Spread the cheese mix, evenly place the Italian sausage, top with a cup of Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Pour a light layer of spaghetti sauce over everything.

Final layer of lasagna noodles and place on top of the first layer. Spread the cheese mix, evenly place the Italian sausage, top with a cup of Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Pour the rest of the spaghetti sauce. Top with some Parmesan cheese.

Take foil and cover the tray twice. Put in the over at 425 degrees for about 40 minutes. The noodles are not pre-cooked like other recipes, so you have to check if the noodles are completely cooked and tender. If not, just cook this some more. If you're pressed for time, replace the foil with saran wrap and put it in the microwave for 5-10 minutes until cooked. Enjoy!