Million Dollar Lasagna

Here’s a hearty and indulgent Million Dollar Lasagna recipe — rich, creamy, cheesy, and layered with bold Italian flavors. It gets its name because it tastes like a million bucks, thanks to the creamy cheese layer that sets it apart from traditional lasagna.

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🍽️ Million Dollar Lasagna

🧀 Why It’s Called “Million Dollar”:

It includes a creamy cheese filling made with ricotta, cream cheese, sour cream, and mozzarella — giving it an ultra-luxurious, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

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🧂 Ingredients

Meat Sauce:

• 1 lb ground beef

• 1/2 lb Italian sausage

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce (or homemade)

• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• Salt & pepper to taste

Cheese Mixture:

• 1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 1 large egg

• 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Fresh parsley (optional)

Pasta:

• 9–12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained (or use oven-ready noodles)

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🔪 Instructions

1. Prepare Meat Sauce

• In a large skillet, brown ground beef and sausage with chopped onion.

• Drain excess fat.

• Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.

• Stir in marinara, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

• Simmer for 10–15 minutes.

2. Mix Cheese Layer

• In a medium bowl, combine:

  • Cream cheese

  • Ricotta

  • Sour cream

  • Egg

  • 1 cup mozzarella

  • Parmesan

  • Mix until creamy and smooth.

3. Assemble Lasagna

In a 9×13 inch baking dish:

1. Spread a small amount of meat sauce on the bottom.

2. Layer 3–4 noodles.

3. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture.

4. Add a layer of meat sauce.

5. Repeat layers (noodles → cheese → meat) until all ingredients are used.

6. Finish with noodles and remaining meat sauce on top.

7. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.

4. Bake

• Cover with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 30 minutes.

• Remove foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until bubbly and golden.

• Let rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing (important for clean layers).

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🌿 Optional Additions:

• Spinach in the cheese layer

• Red pepper flakes for spice

• Fresh basil or oregano for garnish

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🥗 Serving Ideas:

• Garlic bread

• Caesar salad

• Glass of red wine (Chianti or Cabernet)

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