Gram's Lasagna

My grandmother's lasagna has a hundred variations.  Just within our family.  My uncle Steve will swear (literally) up and down that she used ricotta (she didn't.)  Some family members boil the noodles first; others just rely on no-boil noodles (I am an Other.)  Sometimes there are pepperoni guest stars; oftentimes, it's just good ol' hamburg.  It's always a memory of her, if not quite exactly how she made it.  She'd just be glad she didn't have to make it. 

Because we are getting together today to celebrate all the mothers in our family (here, there, past, and future) and I am designated to make one of the lasagnas that will be gracing the table today, I am going to share our recipe.  Some of you non-family have had it.  It's the only lasagna I will ever have fond feelings for.  All other lasagna is not my gram's lasagna. 

Everything this recipe is eyeballed.  I'm using a Pampered Chef stoneware lasagna pan, so I will do my best to fill it up.  A Pyrex 9x13 can be used, too, but it might not take as much for ingredients.

Here we go:

Gram's Lasagna
2-3 lbs hamburger
2-3 bricks of cream cheese (I usually use the Neufchatel Cheese, because no one is going to notice)
1-2 packages noodles (no boil, or boil-first...cook's choice)
2-4 jars sauce (I always use Newman's Own...but the flavor is always a roulette...today I'm using his Marinara, but Sockarooni is always a delicious fallback.  I ended up using about 2 1/2 for this lasagna )
Pepperoni
4 c. mozarella
Shredded parm for the top (optional...I thought I had some in the fridge, but we used it all up...all I had was Shaky Green.  This is not acceptable Parm for lasagna.)

Heat oven to 375.  Decide on the amount of hamburger you think you'll need (I know, how can you know?  I picked a little over 2 lbs.  Cross your fingers) and brown in a large skillet, adding seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc, as you'd like.)  Depending on the fat content of your hamburger, you may need to drain off the fat.  Do that.  Then add your bricks of cream cheese (our default ratio is 1 brick per 1 lb of hamburger...I used two.  Delicious!) and stir until the cream cheese is melted.  Now it's time for assembly.

If you're using a glass pan, you may want to spray it beforehand with non-stick.  I used the stoneware pan, so I was spray-free.

1. Put down some sauce
2. Layer of noodles (I used the Barilla brand no-boil, 3 pieces per layer)
3. Sauce (no-boil noodles need lots of sauce.  Lots.  If it seems like too much, it's the right amount.)
4.  Mozarella and Pepperoni
5.  Noodles
6.  Sauce
7.  All the hamburger.  Yes, a 2 lb layer of hamburger cream cheese divinity.  I did try dividing it in half, but it looked sparse.  And we are not a sparse people.
8.  Noodles
9.  Sauce
10.  Mozarella and Pepperoni
11.  Noodles
12.  Sauce
13.  Mozarella

Then, get a sheet of tin foil and spray one side with non-stick spray.  Cover the lasagna (spray side down) and cook for 50 minutes covered, then remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes or so, until the cheese starts to brown.

I know, it doesn't look any different than anyone else's lasagna...but I can't very well cut into it to show you the center, because uncle Steve would beat me with my own arms if the lasagna arrived at his house misshapen in any way.  So this is an invitation for you to just make this yourself.  Embrace the cream cheese.  Embrace the fact that it's better two, three, four days after it's made.  Use it to trap a non-committal boyfriend (I used cookies, but that was the first date...I was Girl Scout Prepared for that meeting.)  Use it to create warmth with a neighbor.  A new mother.  A slew of hungry siblings. 

Happy Mother's Day!