It's lasagna, but it's Cajun! 😋
If you couldn't already tell, I like to add a Cajun twist on most recipes I make. It's just a habit of bringing a familiar taste that I can't (and will never) get tired of into new dishes.
My family didn't make a lot of lasagna growing up. Instead of pasta, rice was the base of most dishes. Rice is still my #1, but holy moly I love making lasagna.
Now this recipe isn't a 30 minute, one pan dish. But it's great for a dinner party or if you need to feed a crowd. You know that I love meal prepping, and when I cook this we're set for lunches all week!
It's slightly spicy from the andouille sausage, hearty, with a blend of Italian and Cajun seasonings.
Who would have known these two would go so well together!?
When my hubs had surgery a month ago, my mother-in-law flew in to help with his recovery. She's an amazing nurse and having her there was a great sigh of relief!
She helped chop and stir and layer this dish - it's amazing how much quicker the process is when you have some help 🤩
So grab a friend, husband, or mother-in-law and get cookin, good lookin!!
Cajun Lasagna
- 1 pound lean ground beef (ground turkey also works)
- 1 pound andouille sausage
- 1 box lasagna noodles
- 1-12 oz bag frozen Cajun mirepoix mix (onions, celery, bell pepper)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ½ small can tomato paste
- ½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped finely
- 1 tablespoon Tony's
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (I used low fat)
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese, divided
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 ¼ cup mozzarella cheese, divided
- Preheat oven to 375
- In a 5 quart pot, brown the beef and meanwhile chop the andouille sausage into small pieces. I like to cut small discs and then quarter them. Add sausage in with the beef and cook for another 5 minutes
- Pulse the bag of frozen mirepoix mix in a food processor for tiny pieces, and then add to the meats and cook down for 10 minutes over medium-low heat.
- In a tall stock pot, bring water to boil and then boil the lasagna for 7 minutes. This should be about 2-3 minutes less than the box states. Drain the lasagna and then brush olive oil lightly on each noodle to keep from sticking to each other, set aside.
- Back to the 5 quart pot - add in ingredients from chicken broth to red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, and then lower fire to a simmer and cook down for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- In a separate bowl, mix together Ricotta cheese, egg, and half of parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella cheese. Mmmmmm bowl of cheese **See Note 1
- Mix together the remaining shredded cheeses in a separate bowl/plate
- And now we layer - in a large baking pan, scoop 1 cup of the meat sauce into the bottom of the pan. Top with 4-6 noodles (in my large pan I need 4 across and then another two cut in half). Top with half of the Ricotta mixture. Top with a third of the shredded cheese mixture.
- Top with a third of the sauce (it doesn't have to be perfect, just eye ball it)
- Layer on 4-6 more noodles and other half of the Ricotta mixture. Third of meat sauce, layer of noodles, rest of meat sauce, rest of shredded cheeses.
- That should be all of your ingredients, if you have ingredients left over, you messed up boo. It's ok though.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, and then bake for another 15-20. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Wow yum so good!!
Note 1: Most lasagna recipes will call for double the amount of Ricotta and all other cheeses for that traditional 3 distinct layers of sauce, cheese, and noodles. I'm not a fan of a huge layer of Ricotta, but I cannot do without it either. This recipe will include a small layer of ricotta mixture, if you want to double it - go for it!
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