Super Bowl XLIII Food #1: Lasagna

When I’m thinking about food that will work good for the Super Bowl I have a few criteria.  The food in question should:

  • Be easy to prepare
  • Appeal to a wide group of people
  • Require a short final prep during a break
  • Scale to various group sizes

There are lots of foods that fit in to these categories, but first I’d like to share one with you that has been a favorite of my family for years.  Whenever we’re planning a large family gathering where prep time will be minimal my mom makes up a batch of her lasagna.  I think there is little that speaks of classic Italian American food like the lasagna made here in the US.  The recipe you find below is what we use, but there are nearly endless variations that can be made.  Experiment, I’m certain you won’t be disappointed.

Easy Lasagna - Marie Gambon
[Ingredients]
[Sauce]
2 lbs Ground Beef
2 lbs Italian Sausage
3/4 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp Oregano
2 cloves Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Minced Parsley
1 tsp Basil
1 tsp Tabasco
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 20oz can Tomatoes (Diced)
1 small Diced Onion
1 6oz can Tomato Paste
[Remaining Ingredients]
1 package Lasagna Noodles (No boil work fine)
1 cup Sour Cream
3 cups Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Grated Parmesan Cheese
[Directions]
1) Brown meat, onion and garlic.
2) Add tomato paste, tomatoes, herbs and spices.
3) Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
4) Cook noodles as directed on package (if needed).
5) Heat oven to 350F.
6) Alternate layers of meat sauce, noodles, sour cream, and cheese in
an 11x7 baking pan, beginning and ending with meat sauce.
7) Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
8) Bake until top is bubbly and golden brown (~45 - 60 min).

This recipe will easily feed about 6-8 people.  I’d suggest making a small salad to go with it, assuming you’d like to pretend you’re being slighly healthy.  The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be scaled up easily to accomodate a large group.  Also, it can be made ahead of time and either refridgerated or frozen until you’re ready to cook it.  Although, if you decide to freeze it you’ll probably need some extra time in the oven.  I’d plan an extra 30 minutes or so.

Well, I hope this first installment has at least spurred you to start thinking about what you’ll cook for the big game.  Stay with us, we’ve got more coming as the week goes on.


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