Easy Christmas Dinner: Lasagna + Christmas Mojitos (My Cousin’s Kitchen)

Christmas can be a stressful time of year to meal plan. I try to make Christmas Eve and Christmas Day super easy so I’m not stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is enjoying the most wonderful time of the year.

Most Christmases, I host… but like everything else in 2020, that changed! This year, my mom is hosting the Christmas Day meal since I hosted Thanksgiving. She plans to make the same traditional dinner that I always serve, so we decided to share it with you in this week’s episode of My Cousin’s Kitchen!

You can make this dish for the meat lovers, and for any non-meat eaters in your family. We have both in our family, so we do make both versions. BOTH are fantastic and most everyone in our family ends up getting a piece of each.

I personally like to make a homemade Spaghetti Sauce and I add 1 lb. ground beef and 1 lb. Italian Sausage fried up together in a skillet. I add the meat to the sauce and let simmer for 2 hours on low. What I love about this lasagna dish, you can make the sauce earlier in the week and prepare the lasagna dish on the 22nd or 23rd! Lasagna tastes delicious (and holds together better) when made in advance.

Let us know if you plan to make these dishes, I’m also including our Christmas Mojito recipe (inspired by Half Baked Harvest)

LASAGNA

sauce 1 hour
prep time 20 minutes
cook time 30 minutes
total time 1 hour 45 minutes
Serves 10-16 people

INGREDIENTS:

1 pkg Barilla Lasagna noodles
48 oz. Spaghetti Sauce (add 1 lb. Italian Sausage and 1 lb. ground beef)
15 oz. tub of Ricotta Cheese
16 oz. package of Mozzarella Cheese
8 oz. Parmesan Cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp. Oregano
1 cup yellow union chopped, or onion powder
2 gloves of garlic
Large baking dish
Wax paper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease large baking dish
Boil water (add some olive oil) cook lasagna noodles al dente
While noodles cook, mix cheeses in large mixer, then add 2 large eggs and oregano, set aside
Once noodles are finished, drain them immediately and set them out individually on wax paper so they do not stick and the can cool (the noodles will be HOT! use a glove or tongs)
Now you’re ready to layer! Start with sauce in the greased baking dish, then layer with 3 lasagna noodles. Next add a layer of cheese mix, add another layer of meat sauce, add another layer of 3 noodles and repeat until the baking dish is full. Add another layer of meat sauce and sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese.
Bake in oven at 350 for 30 minutes
Let set for 15-20 minutes before serving, and enjoy!

*you can always make the sauce 2-3 days in advance and then prepare the lasagna the day before serving*

MEATLESS OPTION:

Make or buy meatless spaghetti sauce, I usually make two pots of sauce (one with, one without meat) when I’m preparing this dish.

Add 2 pkgs of frozen, drained spinach (defrosted) and layer on top of each cheese layer.

I usually throw together a really simple salad, garlic bread and viola! The perfect Christmas Day fixin’s!

CHRISTMAS MOJITOS: