Grandma's Lasagna

Don't skimp on the meat or cheese!

istock.com/Azurita

My grandma, Terry Menyes, got this recipe out of a magazine when she was first married almost 60 years ago. It's become a family favorite since then, and now everyone makes this lasagna.

Ingredients

For the meat sauce:

• 3 Pounds ground chuck
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon basil
• 1 Tablespoon oregano
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1 12-ounce can tomato paste
• 12 Ounces water

For the cheese filling:

• 16 Ounces cottage cheese
• 1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
• 3 eggs, beaten

To assemble lasagna:

• Mozzarella and provolone cheese, sliced
• 6 lasagna noodles
• Pepperoni

Chef’s Recipe: Grandma Guarnaschelli’s Lasagna by Chef Guarnaschelli

“Like every Italian-American,” chef Alex Guarnaschelli says, “I had two grandmothers who both interpreted lasagna in their own special way.” Her paternal grandmother somehow improved on the already amazing texture of lasagna by adding little meatballs, which she folded into the layers of the lasagna as she built the dish. “Those little meatballs are a bite that I remember vividly from childhood,” says Guarnaschelli.

She first wrote about this clever technique in her cookbook, The Home Cook, noting, “When making classic lasagna bolognese, the ground beef and tomato work beautifully together, but there is something about getting a bite of beef in a little meatball and then the burst of flavor from the tomato sauce that makes this dish even more delicious."

Here, the fast-rising celebrity chef who is host of her own Food Network show, Supermarket Stakeout, and a regular judge on Chopped, shares the cherished family recipe with La Cucina Italiana.

Chef’s Recipe: Grandma Guarnaschelli’s Lasagna by Chef Guarnaschelli

“Like every Italian-American,” chef Alex Guarnaschelli says, “I had two grandmothers who both interpreted lasagna in their own special way.” Her paternal grandmother somehow improved on the already amazing texture of lasagna by adding little meatballs, which she folded into the layers of the lasagna as she built the dish. “Those little meatballs are a bite that I remember vividly from childhood,” says Guarnaschelli.

She first wrote about this clever technique in her cookbook, The Home Cook, noting, “When making classic lasagna bolognese, the ground beef and tomato work beautifully together, but there is something about getting a bite of beef in a little meatball and then the burst of flavor from the tomato sauce that makes this dish even more delicious."

Here, the fast-rising celebrity chef who is host of her own Food Network show, Supermarket Stakeout, and a regular judge on Chopped, shares the cherished family recipe with La Cucina Italiana.

Chef’s Recipe: Grandma Guarnaschelli’s Lasagna by Chef Guarnaschelli

“Like every Italian-American,” chef Alex Guarnaschelli says, “I had two grandmothers who both interpreted lasagna in their own special way.” Her paternal grandmother somehow improved on the already amazing texture of lasagna by adding little meatballs, which she folded into the layers of the lasagna as she built the dish. “Those little meatballs are a bite that I remember vividly from childhood,” says Guarnaschelli.

She first wrote about this clever technique in her cookbook, The Home Cook, noting, “When making classic lasagna bolognese, the ground beef and tomato work beautifully together, but there is something about getting a bite of beef in a little meatball and then the burst of flavor from the tomato sauce that makes this dish even more delicious."

Here, the fast-rising celebrity chef who is host of her own Food Network show, Supermarket Stakeout, and a regular judge on Chopped, shares the cherished family recipe with La Cucina Italiana.

Chef’s Recipe: Grandma Guarnaschelli’s Lasagna by Chef Guarnaschelli

“Like every Italian-American,” chef Alex Guarnaschelli says, “I had two grandmothers who both interpreted lasagna in their own special way.” Her paternal grandmother somehow improved on the already amazing texture of lasagna by adding little meatballs, which she folded into the layers of the lasagna as she built the dish. “Those little meatballs are a bite that I remember vividly from childhood,” says Guarnaschelli.

She first wrote about this clever technique in her cookbook, The Home Cook, noting, “When making classic lasagna bolognese, the ground beef and tomato work beautifully together, but there is something about getting a bite of beef in a little meatball and then the burst of flavor from the tomato sauce that makes this dish even more delicious."

Here, the fast-rising celebrity chef who is host of her own Food Network show, Supermarket Stakeout, and a regular judge on Chopped, shares the cherished family recipe with La Cucina Italiana.

Chef’s Recipe: Grandma Guarnaschelli’s Lasagna by Chef Guarnaschelli

“Like every Italian-American,” chef Alex Guarnaschelli says, “I had two grandmothers who both interpreted lasagna in their own special way.” Her paternal grandmother somehow improved on the already amazing texture of lasagna by adding little meatballs, which she folded into the layers of the lasagna as she built the dish. “Those little meatballs are a bite that I remember vividly from childhood,” says Guarnaschelli.

She first wrote about this clever technique in her cookbook, The Home Cook, noting, “When making classic lasagna bolognese, the ground beef and tomato work beautifully together, but there is something about getting a bite of beef in a little meatball and then the burst of flavor from the tomato sauce that makes this dish even more delicious."

Here, the fast-rising celebrity chef who is host of her own Food Network show, Supermarket Stakeout, and a regular judge on Chopped, shares the cherished family recipe with La Cucina Italiana.

Chef’s Recipe: Grandma Guarnaschelli’s Lasagna by Chef Guarnaschelli

“Like every Italian-American,” chef Alex Guarnaschelli says, “I had two grandmothers who both interpreted lasagna in their own special way.” Her paternal grandmother somehow improved on the already amazing texture of lasagna by adding little meatballs, which she folded into the layers of the lasagna as she built the dish. “Those little meatballs are a bite that I remember vividly from childhood,” says Guarnaschelli.

She first wrote about this clever technique in her cookbook, The Home Cook, noting, “When making classic lasagna bolognese, the ground beef and tomato work beautifully together, but there is something about getting a bite of beef in a little meatball and then the burst of flavor from the tomato sauce that makes this dish even more delicious."

Here, the fast-rising celebrity chef who is host of her own Food Network show, Supermarket Stakeout, and a regular judge on Chopped, shares the cherished family recipe with La Cucina Italiana.

Chef’s Recipe: Grandma Guarnaschelli’s Lasagna by Chef Guarnaschelli

“Like every Italian-American,” chef Alex Guarnaschelli says, “I had two grandmothers who both interpreted lasagna in their own special way.” Her paternal grandmother somehow improved on the already amazing texture of lasagna by adding little meatballs, which she folded into the layers of the lasagna as she built the dish. “Those little meatballs are a bite that I remember vividly from childhood,” says Guarnaschelli.

She first wrote about this clever technique in her cookbook, The Home Cook, noting, “When making classic lasagna bolognese, the ground beef and tomato work beautifully together, but there is something about getting a bite of beef in a little meatball and then the burst of flavor from the tomato sauce that makes this dish even more delicious."

Here, the fast-rising celebrity chef who is host of her own Food Network show, Supermarket Stakeout, and a regular judge on Chopped, shares the cherished family recipe with La Cucina Italiana.

Chef’s Recipe: Grandma Guarnaschelli’s Lasagna by Chef Guarnaschelli

“Like every Italian-American,” chef Alex Guarnaschelli says, “I had two grandmothers who both interpreted lasagna in their own special way.” Her paternal grandmother somehow improved on the already amazing texture of lasagna by adding little meatballs, which she folded into the layers of the lasagna as she built the dish. “Those little meatballs are a bite that I remember vividly from childhood,” says Guarnaschelli.

She first wrote about this clever technique in her cookbook, The Home Cook, noting, “When making classic lasagna bolognese, the ground beef and tomato work beautifully together, but there is something about getting a bite of beef in a little meatball and then the burst of flavor from the tomato sauce that makes this dish even more delicious."

Here, the fast-rising celebrity chef who is host of her own Food Network show, Supermarket Stakeout, and a regular judge on Chopped, shares the cherished family recipe with La Cucina Italiana.

Chef’s Recipe: Grandma Guarnaschelli’s Lasagna by Chef Guarnaschelli

“Like every Italian-American,” chef Alex Guarnaschelli says, “I had two grandmothers who both interpreted lasagna in their own special way.” Her paternal grandmother somehow improved on the already amazing texture of lasagna by adding little meatballs, which she folded into the layers of the lasagna as she built the dish. “Those little meatballs are a bite that I remember vividly from childhood,” says Guarnaschelli.

She first wrote about this clever technique in her cookbook, The Home Cook, noting, “When making classic lasagna bolognese, the ground beef and tomato work beautifully together, but there is something about getting a bite of beef in a little meatball and then the burst of flavor from the tomato sauce that makes this dish even more delicious."

Here, the fast-rising celebrity chef who is host of her own Food Network show, Supermarket Stakeout, and a regular judge on Chopped, shares the cherished family recipe with La Cucina Italiana.

Chef’s Recipe: Grandma Guarnaschelli’s Lasagna by Chef Guarnaschelli

“Like every Italian-American,” chef Alex Guarnaschelli says, “I had two grandmothers who both interpreted lasagna in their own special way.” Her paternal grandmother somehow improved on the already amazing texture of lasagna by adding little meatballs, which she folded into the layers of the lasagna as she built the dish. “Those little meatballs are a bite that I remember vividly from childhood,” says Guarnaschelli.

She first wrote about this clever technique in her cookbook, The Home Cook, noting, “When making classic lasagna bolognese, the ground beef and tomato work beautifully together, but there is something about getting a bite of beef in a little meatball and then the burst of flavor from the tomato sauce that makes this dish even more delicious."

Here, the fast-rising celebrity chef who is host of her own Food Network show, Supermarket Stakeout, and a regular judge on Chopped, shares the cherished family recipe with La Cucina Italiana.