American Lasagna

WARNING... I made the receipe a day ahead as suggested. Although I thought it was odd, I saw the cook time was 30 min and followed directions without looking back at the cook and prep times listed at the top of the web page (when I hit PRINT, those didn't print out, just the actual receipe!). I should have known better. There must be a typeo at the bottom of the receipe, it does NOT cook in 30 min, but an hour and 30 like it says at the top! It was easy to figure out my mistake, and I should have prob known better, but in a rush I followed the receipe and planned for 30 min. Now we'll have to wait another 60 to eat. Oops. I hope it's as wonderful as everyone says, it smells fabulous! And DO add some extra tomato sauce and water to the sauce.

I believe this is a great basic recipe. I made several modifications to fit my tastes (adding mushooms, increasing spices, using turkey instead of beef), but that versitility only increases the value of the recipe in my mind. Others have commented on the dryness and that concerned me a bit. I didn't find it dry at all and have a couple of observations that I didn't see in other reviews. First, the recipe isn't clear whether the tomatoes should be drained or not. Do NOT drain them, use the juice in the sauce. Second, use cooked noodles. Uncooked dry or fresh noodles (I used fresh) will absorb water from the sauce and make the finished product drier. I suspect the same is true of the oven ready product I have never used. Third, I did end up adding a half-cup of water to be sure, but this will depend on how you simmer and personal tastes. I think adding about this much red wine as some others suggest could add flavor and the needed moisture. I gave it only four stars because of the discrepancy on cooking times (it needs 1 1/2 hours, not 30 min) and not being clear on retaining the juice in the diced tomatoes. Otherwise, I think it's a great and very adaptable recipe. Thanks, Rosemary.

This is now going to be the lasagna recipe I use from now on. The only change I made was I used a mixture of half ricotta cheese and half cottage cheese instead of all ricotta. I refrigerated it overnight before baking it as the recipe author suggests and added 15 minutes to the baking time indicated in the recipe however I found that the edges were starting to burn before the center was done. If you're refrigerating the lasagna overnight before baking it I suggest covering it with aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes of baking and baking it at 350 rather than 375. That way the center can heat up without the edges burning first.

Wow!! Wonderful flavor! Be sure and simmer the sauce the maximum amount of time. Making the lasagna a day ahead and refrigerating is definitely key to having outstanding flavor! I made this a second time, and used Italian-seasoned turkey sausage, ground in my food processor. What a difference it made - will definitely do that again!! Also note that 1 tsp. dried basil works if you don't have fresh basil on hand, and lowfat ricotta is just fine as well. I bake mine covered with aluminum foil for 20 minutes (then 10 minutes without) to prevent it from drying out. I have made this lasagna several times, and like others, I thought it could use more sauce. I now add an extra 14.5 oz. can of Italian-style diced tomatoes, and increase the spices a bit. PERFECT! Thanks for the recipe!!

This is a great recipe, but better with some modifications. I followed several suggestions from other reviews. Mainly, this lasagna would be way too dry and bland without more sauce and spices. I added the equivalent of 1 1/2 28 oz cans of pre-seasoned sauce. To the sauce I also added lots of xtra garlic and fresh oregano plus I used half ground beef and half hot italian sausage instead of all beef (next time I might even go with all sausage because that added a lot of good flavor). I was going to add some crushed red pepper flakes but forgot, so I will add a little next time. To the filling I added a few xtra ounces of ricotta, a few xtra ounces of mozzarella (I used part skim), and 4 ounces of cream cheese. I also used xtra parmesan on the top. I cut the brown sugar in half and also used a little less salt. I don't know if I needed to, but I sprayed the pan with Pam and also spread a little sauce on top of that and clean up was a snap. I had modified the recipe for 12 servings and used a bigger pan and I cooked it for about 1 hr 40 minutes. Clearly the 30 minute cook time at the bottom of the recipe is a misprint and should read the 1 1/2 hrs that it states at the top. Also, I covered with foil for half of the cooking time which helped keep it moist on top. I served this to 10 girlfriends and they all thought it was terrific!

My family of 6, consisting of 5 finicky men all loved this lasagna, just when they thought I couldn't improve on my own I try this and they were flabergasted! Only two things I changed. One was I subed italian sausage for 1/2 the hamburger and second WAY TOO MUCH SALT! I cut the salt out completely and nobody noticed! There is plenty of salt in the cheeses and the diced tomatoes to suit our tastes. Stopped by to correct my spelling...and to tell you all we still love this and I make only this recipe now.

Yummy!! Like other posts, I realized I was going to need more sauce halfway through the recipe. Luckily I had another can of diced tomatoes in the pantry. So I added more to my sauce. Plus, I cooked mine 20 minutes uncovered and an hour covered and it turned out perfectly.:-) The best lasgna I've ever had! Who needs the Olive Garden?:-) Notice the cook time at the top of the recipe...1.5 hours. THIS is the correct time, not the specifed 30 minutes! Allrecipes really should change this.

DO NOT MAKE THIS RECIPE! How can anyone give this more than one star, let alone 5! Such a dry recipe, tasted burned because they had you simmer tomato paste which is already dry! Not even water helped this recipe. If you want a kick butt lasagna, search for WHITE CHEESE CHICKEN LASAGNA.... Wow, what a good meal that was, everyone raved over it! It's not your red, dried out lasagna, it's a moist, cheesy white chicken lasagna. Please mark this review as helpful, so others may see it too!

Very good. I cut the recipe in half and used no-boil noodles. Lasagna sliced nicely and had good flavor but this is just your standard lasagna recipe. I will make this again though since it's good AND easy.

Positively incredible! Edit: I think I've perfected it. I use 2lbs ground beef with 4 cloves of garlic. Then I add an additional 15oz can of sauce to the tomato sauce. (Add more of the other spices, but keep the brown sugar at 2Tbsp.) I use 1.5lb mozz and .5lb of italian cheese mix for the cheese part. I also put a light layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan to help noodles from drying out. Then I put enough sauce to cover the top layer of noodles and then top with sliced mozzarella from a block (not the shredded type.) This keeps the moisture in. 1 hour covered and then 20 min uncovered (kept in fridge overnight) and I had a bubbly, moist, delicious lasagna. If you are skeptical, you MUST TRY! Edit 2 - I "stole" some ideas from "World's Best Lasagna".. use 1 lb. beef, 1 lb. sweet italian sausage, add a little nutmeg to the ricotta. Ahhhhhh.

This was sooo good that I wanted to have some for breakfast this morning(but I did maintain self control). I added a half pound italian sausage to the ground beef and an extra can of italian style diced tomatoes with a splash of red wine. I also made 3 layers using 3 noodles per layer. And we love cheese so there was lots of it. I refrigerated it for 2 days before cooking. OH SOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!! Tip: instead of cooking the noodles, soak them in hot faucet water for a while and then layer. They absorb the water and then cook in the oven. Also, put a little sauce on the bottom of the pan, it helps with moisture.

I have been using this recipe since 2005. The changes I have made are to add 1 can of tom sauce, use half ground beef/half Italian sausage, parsley in place of the basil, crushed instead of diced toms, only 1 Tb Brown sugar, and omit the last teaspoon of salt. Sometimes I let it set overnight in frig; sometimes not. Either way this is a great recipe that everyone always raves about. I have even made the sauce by itself to serve with pasta. Love it.

***This review is for my VEGETARIAN version*** I made this vegetarian by subbing one 8oz package of Smart Ground protein crumbles for the 1.5 pounds of ground beef. It turned out to be just the right amount of "meat" in my opinion. I used 1.5 onions rather than 1 and doubled the basil, oregano, and garlic. I also added one teaspoon of cayenne pepper which added just the perfect amount of spice. I did NOT think this needed more sauce. This could be because I simmered my sauce at a low temperature and added about a half a cup of water half way through. As others have stated, 9 lasagna noodles was perfect. I covered with foil and baked for an hour, then removed foil and baked for another 20 min. Summary: As lasagnas go, this turned out to be very good! I will make this again.

Very good and easy to make. I added a 2/3 box of frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry) to the ricotta cheese mixture.

The first time I made this recipe I was pretty disappointed. I think I listened too carefully to the reviews and didn't give the recipe a chance. I made it again somewhat reluctantly, having forgotten all the discussion of what it needed, what it lacked, etc. and just followed the recipe - the only exception was that I added an additional 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes and four tablespoons of the left-over pasta water to the sauce (I learned the pasta water is an Italian trick). It turned out so much better than the first time! I learned my lesson -- this is fantastic if you just trust the recipe!

DELISH!!! I just made this and will be coming back to it again for sure! My husband loves lasagna however I have never made it. He said it was the best lasagna he has ever had and couldn't wait to eat leftovers tomorrow. I only made a few changes. I added a 15oz. can of tomato sauce to stretch the meat sauce a bit more. My husband said that he always wishes that the lasagna he has had in the past had more ricotta cheese so I doubled the ricotta, parmesan, parsley and eggs. It was AWESOME! next time I think I am going to cut the recipe in half except for the ricotta portion and do that as the recipe calls. It made enough lasagna to last us weeks!

I did not make this the night before. I didn't have time for that. I did make the sauce this afternoon and let it simmer for a few hours and I added a few small personal touches. I have to make my meat stretch the next couple weeks, so I only used about a half pound or so of ground beef and made up the rest in chopped vegetables; shredded zucchini, chopped peppers, mushrooms, onion and a mess of fresh minced garlic. Right after everything was combined, I added in a slosh of red wine. I doubled the oregano, only used only a pinch of salt AND I used organic diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Because I'm on a budget and we're watching our salt intake, (and we don't really care for ricotta), I used "Trim" cottage cheese and I did not add extra salt to the cheese mix. This really was quick to assemble, made a HUGE panful and was quite enjoyed by us and our dinner guests. I think I avoided the "dry lasagna" issue because I did not let mine set overnight but I think the sauce was better after I simmered it for a bit. With homemade whole wheat rolls, this was a filling, economical and enjoyable meal.

Great recipe although I made several changes to cut the calories from 642/8 or 428/12 down to 325 per 1/12 slice. Cut back the meat to 1 lb and drained fat after saute. Used reduced fat mozzarella and ricotta and used 9 lasagna strips of Dreamfield's lower glycemic index pasta. Flavor from seasonings is great although I also reduced the salt. My entire family raved over this without them ever knowing about the substitutions. I have found that I can still enjoy my favorites without all the fat and calories. I agree about refrigeration one night prior for flavor and keep boiling of noodles to 5-7 min and pat dry. Keeps the lasagna from being runny. Will definitely make again!

Absolutely the best lasagna! I have not come across anyone that I served this to that didn't love it. The only change I made was adding more garlic. I also used a larger pan because this didn't fit into my 9X13.

This is my basic recipe for lasagna. I do use sweet Italian sausage and ground beef for a richer flavor. If you want stringy, gooey unburnt cheese on top then don't add the top layer of cheese until foil is off and lasagna is cooling in the oven.

This Lasagna recipe is great. I made two pans of it for a party and everyone loved it. The first time I made it I did what others had suggested about substituting some of the ground beef with sausage, and adding another can of tomatoes. I also did that the second time I made it but I only put in half of the sugar. So many people loved the lasagna it was amazing. This one is definately a keeper.

Made this for the 2nd time recently. The name is perfect - my husband is Italian, and this is completely different from my mother in law's lasagna, but heartier and every bit as good in it own respect. It froze well, too. I just omitted the top layer of cheese and cooked the one for the freezer 1/2 the recomended time. (A trick from the mother in law which keeps it from being watery upon 2nd baking). I then cooked it from frozen, adding that top layer of cheese for the last 1/2 hr.

I looked for and tried many different lasagna recipes over the years but after tasting this one, I won't be looking any more. I took the advice of others and change a few things. My family and relatives thought that it was the best lasagna ever. I used hot Italian turkey sausage in lieu of ground beef, 3 cloves of garlic not 2, 1 1/4 tablespoons brown sugar in lieu of 2 tablespoons, 1 additional can of diced tomatoes and added 1 small can of tomato sauce. I put a layer of sauce at the bottom of dish before the first layer of noodles. I used freshly grated Asiago cheese instead of parmesan, fresh parsley in lieu of dried and a dash of red pepper flakes. Last but not least I made it the day before and let it sit in the refrigerator so all of the spices settle in. Because it is cold when you put it in the oven you need to add 15 minutes to the baking time. This all sounds like a lot of work but it is actually pretty easy.

This is the best lasagna! My husband recommends this for dinner whenever lasagna is mentioned. Will probably never make different lasagna. (Don't tell the hubby, but I do cut down on the meat and substitute chopped up zucchini, mushrooms and other veggies...he doesn't even notice!!) I also like to sub Italian sausage sometimes for some more zippyness!

I get nothing but compliments on this one. I double the sauce and use extra mozzarella. I also substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta.

Just made this wonderful dish, with 5 alterations, and it was moderately easy and delicious! I used fresh oregano vs dried as I love the taste of fresh herbs to dishes. Added 2 tsp of fennel seeds, as this was a secret that an old Sicilian grandmother taught me for her meat sauce. I than added 8oz canned tomato sauce with 1 c of water to the sauce as the meat sauce simmered because my sauce seemed very thick in consistency. Finally, I tried the pasta that did not need any boiling, just to experiment with it. The end product was, as I wrote, delicious! My family had second helpings..and so will you (:

This truly is a great lasagna dish. Thanks to everyone who previously submitted their suggestions. I noticed with mine that the sauce was a little scarce on the very top layer, so I opened a 6 oz. can of tomato sauce and poured it on top and blended it with the cooked sauce before adding the mozzarella. I was a little confused on timing and ended up cooking the lasagna for about an hour COVERED with foil and then about 10 minutes UNCOVERED. This seemed to work well! Great recipe!!

My husband hates lasagna and will only it eat if I make this recipe. I think that says a lot about how good it is! Very yummy!

This lasagna looked and cut great but the flavor was only average. Does everyone who gave this 5 stars must normally make lasagna from bottled sauce? I followed suggestions and substituted 1/2 lb. hamburger for italian sausage. I also added 8 oz. tomato sauce since there wasn't quite enough sauce. I only used 1 tbs. brown sugar and did double all the herbs. The flavor was flat! I think I'll go back to my old recipe which uses all italian sausage, no hamburger! Also, thyme adds a kick. Make sure you use a good brand of italian plum tomatoes and fresh herbs (even if you used dried, make sure they aren't old). Fresh garlic only, and lots of it. Also, I like to put an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce instead of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan before layering the noodles. That way you don't get lumps from the meat under the very first layer. Just my pet peeve. Really, there are better meat sauce recipes out there. I will say, this recipe did cut quite nicely so I will follow the directions for the ricotta and assembling next time I make a different lasagna.

One of the best recipes for lasagna out there. The directions were easy to follow and so much better than using a bottled sauce.

I am going to offer a couple of suggestions with this lasagna. I also added 1/8 c olive oil, 1/8 c red wine, 2 small bay leaves, and a little chopped green pepper to the sauce. I had it simmer for a couple of hrs to let the flavors 'mesh'. *Just be sure to pull the bay leaves out of the sauce before layering in the pan! I also used grated a block of fresh parmesan cheese to the top of the lasagna and applied a liberally. Good starter recipe!

I've made this a few times now, and my fiance and friends absolutely love it. Like others have stated, I always end up needing more sauce then I've made. So i use, Newman's Organic sauce on the top layer. Very delicious.

Oh, yeah, Baby! This is a keeper! Great recipe! I doubled the tomato sauce as others had suggested and didn't have fresh herbs so I used Italian seasoning (2 big teaspoons) and the family fell in love! Thank you!

I love this recipe! It was actually the first lasagna recipe I'be ever tried, and I don't want to try another one! I've made it twice- once with ricotta cheese and another time with cottage cheese instead. Both ones were fantastic. I did add more sauce as people have suggested. I also only put in 1 lb of meat. I only had to cook the lasagna for 30 minutes as the recipe says. Then again, I cooked everything before so it was really just in the oven to melt the cheese. I would reccomend this recipe to anyone!

Delicious - big hit with our family!

This is my favorite lasagna recipe. I have been making it for about a year now. I do change a few things....I use crushed tomatoes instead of diced; substitute cottage cheese (8 oz) for the Ricotta; use 1 Tbsp onion powder instead of an onion (personal preference...a texture thing); and MOST IMPORTANTLY... add 6 oz cream cheese to the egg/cheese mixture. The cream cheese is key. It adds such a great depth and flavor. I have received many comliments on this including one friend who said it was better than "----" (A very popular Italian restaurant known for their salad and breadsticks). Thanks for a great recipe!

I read the reviews AFTER I assembled the lasagna (I know, I know!) and I was pretty worried that it would come out dry. I didn't need to worry because the sauce was perfect! It was thick and delicious! Maybe some people like a thinner sauce, but I really liked the way this turned out!I followed the directions pretty closely. The only changes were that I used half a pound of ground beef and half a pound of sweet Italian sausage. Instead of using a can of diced tomatoes, I used the same size can of tomato sauce. (I don't like chunky sauce.) I made this the day before and popped it in the oven for dinner tonight. I cooked for 45 minutes and it was perfect. I think an hour and a half is too long. My husband always has something to say about what could be improved in a dish that I make (I know, annoyinh!!!) and this time he said it was perfect! Yay! I'm definitely making this again!

Absolutley the best lasagna I ever made. Everyone loved it!!!!

excellent as written except i use cottage cheese instead of ricotta

awesome! i used two pounds of meat adn it worked out just right. i decided to feast right out of the oven: scrupmptious. the next day's left overs were even better.

This is an easy recipe that also tastes great. I add a can of tomato sauce and that seems to make enough sauce for a 9x13 pan, without it is not. I only use 1 tbsp of brown sugar, 2 is too sweet for my taste. I also substitute the ground beef with ground turkey.

Amazing! I made mine half-meat, half-veggie. Just replaced the meat with spinach for the veggie half and it turned out great. I recommend using all 12 noodles.

Loved this recipe as is!

Love this recipe! I substitute one large can of diced tomatoes for one small can diced, one can tomato sauce. I followed the recipe exactly the first time, but there wasn't enough sauce- the substitution solves the problem. Yes, the cook time is incorrect as others have pointed out. However, we hardly ever let it cook the full 1.5 hours, as my husband and I never seem to be able to wait that long! Simply delicious recipe.

Only 2nd time I've made lasagna. (First was from back of Barilla box using bottled sauce.) This one is worth the extra work. Absolutely delicious! Served 7 for New Year's with left-overs. I assembled it day before. BTW - I had enough to make a test 5x7 casserole to enjoy the night before the party.

This is a great recipe. I didn't measure ANYTHING and I changed it up, although I know it would be excellent, as written. I used a LOT of good quality burger and Jimmy Dean HOT sausage as well as sweet italian sausage. I used my cuisinart to blend the curds out of cottage cheese (cool consistency.. very creamy) used ricotta, too. I used maybe half cup of FRESH grated parmesan cheese. I blended the bell pepper and onion in my cuisinart, so my son and hubby wouldn't know it was in there. HA! I added some red pepper, more of all the spices, including 4x's the fresh garlic. I used half the salt. Everything was perfect! It took a LONG time, but was worth it!

Wow! This was a great recipe. I appreciate previous posters' comments: I added more Tom Sauce to make the meat thinner. I didn't have fresh basil so I subbed 1tsp of dried. Here's a neat thing... instead of making traditional lasagne, I made roll-ups! Cook the noodles, pat them dry, then one at a time spread cheese mix, then meat, then top w/mozz and roll on up. These can be frozen individually for a quickie individual meal, or placed in a pan w/more sauce and cheese on top. This is a bit laborious, but I love how easy it is to serve. The individual rolls are mighty convenient, too!

This recipe is very similar to my mothers. I substitute the tomatoes with tomato puree & added a 29 ounce can of tomato sauce & a bay leaf. A bay leaf is important, as it reduces some of the sweetness from the tomatoes/paste. As with all sauces be sure to adjust the spices in the sauce before assembling the lasagna. I like more sauce, so I double it add more to the lasagna & leave a container of it out so that others can add as they please. Just remember as with any other sauce...it's always better the next day! AWESOME!! I also use this sauce for other pastas. Thank you Rosemary!

perfect. This is my go-to lasagna recipe. I make it with ground turkey and a homemade pasta sauce

This is replacing my other lasagna. We all loved it. Took 1 1/2 hours to cook. Used 9noodles and added mushrooms. Put foil on top for almost the whole cook time.

I used the "meatloaf" mixture of ground pork, beef and veal and it made an even tastier version. I recommend draining the diced tomatoes so you have a thick sauce mixture--that way the lasagna isn't watery when baked.

Very very good! I didn`t change a thing.

The most amazing lasagna I have ever had. Everyone raves when I make it. A few changes I have made have made it even better. I use 1/2 lb. ground beef. And 2 (29 oz) cans tomatos. I blend mine in the blender because hubby doesn't like chunks. And I use 9 noodles instead of 12. I also line the bottom of the pan with tons of sauce. I use all of the sauce I make so it is not dry. I don't think you can ever have too much sauce! And I put my baking dish on a cookie sheet to catch spill over.

Best lasagna I've ever made period!!!! I made it in the afternoon & refrigerated till dinner. The only thing I did different was using jarred Barilla Italian sausage sauce. I grated some zucchini & squash & added chopped mushrooms to the meat. Also used Italian seasoning instead of oregano (didn't have it) & added 2 good splashes of red wine before simmering. Next time I'll use less brown sugar it was a tad sweet, but not bad. Also didn't use parm cheese in the ricotta mixture cause I had none but did add some garlic to it. Absolutely delish & will be my go to lasagna recipe from now on!

I thought this recipe was great. Being that i have only ever "helped" make lasagna, this was the first time i decided to make it on my own. I did read a lot of reviews before attempting it, so i knew i should throw an extra can of diced tomatoes into the sauce. My prep time was way longer than 30 minutes (probably because I kept reading the recipe) other than that it turned out delicious! I did only use 9 lasagna noodles, as many of the other reviewers suggested.

I never boil my lasagna noodles. I don't care for 'oven ready' lasagna. I use regular lasagna noodles, placing them unboiled in the lasagna pan. Then do the layers. The trick is to place it covered with plastic wrap and aluminum foil in the frig and let it sit at least 24 hours. This lets the sauce get into the noodles and soften them. Sometimes I'll leave it in the frig for 2 days. When cooking in oven I leave the plastic wrap on (keeps it more moist), and the foil on--make sure the foil completely covers the plastic wrap. If I have the time I will put it in the oven at 250 degrees and let it heat up for hours.

I made it exactly as written, prepared the day before and baked the following day. It was fantastic.

my first time making lasagna and this recipe was great for a first timer. we really enjoyed it and ate it for 2 days straight...thanks

Excellent. I added an extra 16 oz od tomato sauce and replaced .5 lbs of the ground beef with Italian Sausage. It came out great!

Best easy lasagna recipe yet! I usually substitute cottage cheese for ricotta and it would still end up tasting great. I would go easy on the parsley as well since I am not much of a fan. Thanks for sharing!

This lasagna is to die for! Everyone loves the homemade sauce especially. In our family we add a layer of two bars of melted cream cheese for extra flavor. It's amazing!

I used a tub of 1% cottage cheese instead of the ricotta. Just like mom made!

GREAT lasagna! I am Jamaican and know nothing about making lasagna!! I made this for my American boyfriend who loves his mom's lasagna and he LOVED it!! Very simple to make. I used 2lbs. of beef because I like mine to be meaty and I still think I could used some more meet.. also I only need 9 lasagna noodles in a 9x13 dish. There is soooo much leftover... definitely one recipe to keep for reference!

This lasagna is the best I've ever eaten. My family LOVES it. I've made it several times for friends who have new babies or just because and everyone always raves about it. I've been told this is the best lasagna ever so many times that I feel like a chef. :) I'd suggest adding one 15 oz can of tomato sauce to make the meat mixture less dry. Also, I use one 14 1/2 oz can of diced tomatoes with the basil, oregano mixture already added and one plain. I then add the spices the recipe asks for as well. It's not too much spice. It's just right. Also, like others have said, it requires more cooking time in my opinion. I use an aluminum pan to bake it in, cover the lasagna with non-stick aluminum foil (non-stick side down) and bake at 350 for an hour. Then, I remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. This recipe is best when you make it and refridgerate it overnight to bake the next day. Yummy!

This is one of the best lasagnas I've had! We made this the day before and served it for a super bowl party. Everyone raved about it, and wanted the recipe. We used half ground turkey and italian sausage and half ricotta cheese & cottage cheese. I also used Barilla no-boil noodles, which saves some time! Next time, I'm going to also add fresh sliced mushrooms. This one is definitely a keeper!

Delicious, and so easy to make!!! I made this for my family and they all loved it! They even said it was the best lasagna they ever had!

really good recipe family loves it... i used rotel instead of diced tomatoes for more of a zing...

This is a fantastic recipe to crate your own Lasagna, or probably would be great as is. I only made some adjustments because I didn't have some of the ingredients on hand, but it came out great! I substituted the fresh basil with some dried Italian seasoning, and the tomatos and tomato paste with a ready made tomato sauce. My family truly loved this lasagna. I'm so glad I found it!

Yum! Everyone loved it!

This is the worst lasagna I have ever made or eaten, including frozen lasagna. My husband, who is not a picky eater and loves my cooking (and brags to everyone that he is married to a great cook), told me to throw it out! It was way too dry even after adding the 8 oz can of tomato sauce as most suggested, the cook time is wrong (at the top is said cook for 90 minutes and at the bottom it said to cook for 30 minutes???)and the sauce was bland (maybe that's why it's called American instead of Italian). Not sure how it got a 5 star rating from so many others when the recipe had to be altered by most that liked it. If it's really a 5 star recipe you shouldn't have to change a thing! What a waste of time and money. YUCK :-(

All I can say is YUM-YUM-YUM! I have made this at least 10 times, it is my go to crowd pleaser. My husband is from Italy and gives it a two thumbs up! The only thing I do differently is that I add a large grated carrot and a grated zucchini to the meat when simmering to add some veggies to it. It will please the pickiest of eaters and it is super easy to make!

A little on the sweet side. Definitely use a deep pan or you will have trouble fitting it in. I would decrease the amount of meat or use a 15 x 11 pan next time. I took others advice and added tomato sauce and I am glad I did. I actually added more than one can because it was not "saucy" enough for me. I also added some wine and I was glad I did that too. It helped counter some of the sweetness. I also did as many others did and used partial italian sausage instead of all ground beef.

I made this the other night for my VERY picky family. I followed the recipe exactly, except the store didn't have fresh basil, so I had to use dried basil. Other than that, it turned out GREAT! Will definately make this a weeknight staple!

Loved this recipe. The reviews are right in that the half hour bake time is a typo--although we found that it didn't need the full 90 minutes either; it's usually done around 70-75. The mixtures are a smaller amount than I would prefer to work with, so I like to use a little more ricotta and tomato than recommended to make spreading easier. Some reviewers commented that there is too much meat, but we're huge meat-lovers so the amount works fine for us. Any more than 9 lasagna noodles is excessive.

Excellent! Took 1 hr and 15 mins to cook.

My family loved this recipe. I've made it twice and it only gets better each time. The only thing I would add to this is extra tomato sauce. It's good if you follow the instructions but the extra didn't hurt.

Delicious and easy! The sauce is the perfect consistency for perfect square pieces that don't run. I would only add one thing, mushrooms!

I just had this, and it was so good! I made it a day ahead like some other reviewers, and it soaked up all the flavor.

This was my first attempt at a lasagna and it was PERFECTION! It was delicious and we ate it 3 nights in a row. Lots of leftovers for two people. Would definitely make again...for a dinner party!

I have been eating and making lasagne for many years and I have to say this is one of the best recipes I have ever tasted!The consistency was perfect for us. I don't care for "sloppy lasagne", meaning way too much sauce so the noodles float and the whole casserole falls apart when you cut into it. The only change I made was adding some red wine to the sauce, not much, maybe 1/2 cup and adding some basil and increasing the oregano. Reheats well and almost tastes better the next day or even the day after that. EXCELLENT>

Easy recipe to make. Prep time took me a little longer but I was working with a smaller kitchen. The flavor was great and I appreciated the shorter cooking time. Definitely would recommend.

Made this for a dinner party with RAVE reviews!! I made this 2 days ahead of time, that's what my schedule allowed. I took some advice from others and doubled both the diced canned tomatoes and tomato paste. You only need 9 noodles and it was FULL to the top! Only used one pound of ground beef, 3 cloves of garlic and 2 Tbsp of fresh basil. I also added a tsp of italian seasoning and topped it with more cheese. Bake 1 1/2 hours and it was the BEST lasagna i have ever had!! My guests took home leftovers, they loved it so much!

This is great when you add an extra 14,5 oz can of diced tomatoes. I use canned tomatoes/past that all have basil garlic and oregano so I dont have to add that stuff. I also recommend using a 16 oz container of ricotta cheese and a 16 oz container of small curd cottage cheese instead of what the recipe calls for. I also use a lot less onion(personal preferance). I cook it on 375-400 covered w/foil for over 40 minutes, and I use no boil lasagna noodles too.

Absolutely unbelievable!!!!! It turned out excellent! I add 1 pound of Italian sausage and used half of the beef called for. Instead of ricotta cheese I used cottage cheese. I also rubbed each noodle with olive oil after I cooked them.

Fantastic!!! My guest loved it. This will be my Lasagna recipe for now. Very easy to make.

Absolutely delicious!!

Really tasty. The brown sugar adds a new dimension. I substituted 1 lb of Italian sausage for part of the ground beef which gave it an added zip.

YUMMY!!!! I served this to my family and they all raved over how delicious it was. I too added a 1-8 oz. can of tomato sauce, and used 3/4 lb. ground sirloin and 3/4 lb. mild Italian sausage. It was the BEST Lasagna I've ever made!!!!!

This recipe is great. I love how it isn't overpowering with Italian seasonings (Oregano, etc.)

My family and I really liked this alot. I followed what other reviews said and cut the sugar and salt in half and added spinich. The texture and taste were wonderful.

Great lasagna...I doubled several of the ingredients & it turned out perfect. We finished it off the next day & it was even better. The brown sugar added a nice twist. Thanks!!

I like the recipe as written, but to customize it to make it more tasty and easier, this is what I did: 1 lb ground beef, 5 cloves garlic, no basil, oregano or brown sugar, 1 1/2-2 (eyeball it) jars chunky pasta sauce instead of the diced tomatoes and paste, no eggs, 24 oz container cottage cheese, no salt to go with the cottage cheese, and I just used one 8 oz package Italian blend shredded cheese instead of using parmesan and mozzarella. I followed the layering order except instead of the ricotta mix I just spread the cottage cheese w/parsley on the noodles, then followed by the Italian blend cheese. It's much easier this way and still really good. I sprayed the bottom of the baking dish with nonstick spray and baked uncovered 20 min and uncovered 25 more min.

My husband actually made this and it was great! It has to be easy because he can only cook "canned soup" and hotdogs. Loved it!!

Outstanding!!I made 2 (9x13)sheets of lasagna, so I double the recipe. I used 2 lbs of ground beef and 1 lb of italian sausage. I also added (2) 8 oz cans of tomatoe sauce (*since i double the recipe) as others suggested. Didn't need to put any sauce on the bottom, just sprayed pan with Pam. I also added a little mozzarella cheese on the top with the parmesan and topped with some pepperoni slices for visual appeal and to kind of outline suggested serving pieces. In a standard 9x13 pan I could only fit 3 strips of noodles side by side on each layer, then 4 on the top kind of over lapping. But it's OK to have the few extra, especially if some rip apart beyond being salvaged while cooking. It didn't fall apart while cutting or serving! Salad & french loaf garlic bread accompanied this to make a wonderful& filling Mother's day dinner.

Very good lasagna-has a lot of meat.

I have been making Lasagna for 35 years. I am of Italian descent. NEVER have I baked it for 1 1/2 hrs! I assemble my lasagna like it says in this recipe & leave out the last topping of mozzarella for later. I then cover it loosely with foil for 35-40 min, then uncover it and add mozzarella to the top, bake another 10 minutes till the cheese is melted and bubbly. If you bake this for 1 & 1/2 hrs, you are definitely overbaking it!!!! Let it rest for at least 1 hour to let it set into layers before slicing & serving it.

My family loved this recipe. The first time I made it, I had to use a bit more ricotta cheese and a little bit more sauce. Also, it came out just a tad dry but I think if you used some cottage cheese along with the ricotta it would juice it us just enough. Long story short, I finally found a lasagna that tastes like I think it should. I love lasagna but there is a particular combination of flavors I was looking for and this one has it!

My daughter started using this recipe and her family loves it. I decided to try it and found out how good it really is. It definitely needs more sauce than the original recipe uses. We also use extra mozzarella. We lay our noodles out on waxed paper so they don't stick and then blot them with paper towel. Enjoy!

I added an extra can of diced tomatoes like the other reviews recommended and replaced the 1.5# of lean ground beef with 1# ground turkey and 1# of turkey sausage for my meat loving family!