Filipino-style Lasagna

Ingredients

• 15 pieces uncooked lasagna noodles
• 1 cup Cheddar Jack cheese, shredded

For The Meat Sauce

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 6 pieces Filipino-style hotdogs, sliced diagonally
• onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 red or green bell pepper, seeded, cored and chopped
• 3 pounds ground beef
• 24 ounces tomato sauce
• 12 ounces banana ketchup
• 1 cup beef broth
• ¾ cup tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• salt and pepper to taste

For The Bechamel Sauce

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup flour
• 6 cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For The Noodles

1. In a large pot over medium heat, bring about 4 quarts salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes less than package directions Rinse under cold running water and drain well.

For The Meat Sauce

1. In a large thick-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add sliced hotdogs and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned. With a slotted spoon, remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened. 
3. Add bell peppers and cook until softened. 
4. Add ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking into small pieces, for about 7 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Drain excess fat, if any.
5. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, and beef broth. Stir in sugar and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. 
6. Lower heat, cover and simmer for about 35 to 45 minutes or until meat is fully cooked and sauce is slightly thickened.
7. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add browned hotdogs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For The Bechamel Sauce

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. 
2. Add flour and stir well into a smooth paste. Cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 to 2 minutes or until golden (but NOT browned) and starts to bubble a bit.
3. Slowly add milk in a thin stream, whisking vigorously until the mixture is very smooth and lump-free.
4. Continue to cook, whisking regularly, for about 4 to 5 minutes or until thick but pourable. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assembly

1. Grease bottom and sides of a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. 
2. Ladle about ½ cup of meat sauce and spread it to cover the bottom of the dish. 
3. Ladle bechamel sauce over the meat sauce and gently spread across.
4. Arrange one layer of lasagna noodles lengthwise over the white sauce. Cut a piece of lasagna to fit into gaps as needed. 
5. Ladle a third of the remaining meat sauce over the noodles and spread across the surface.
6. Ladle another layer of white sauce over the meat sauce
7. Finish with a third layer of noodles, meat sauce, and bechamel.
8. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top and last layer of bechamel sauce.
9. Tent the lasagna pan with foil and bake in a 375 oven for about 30 to 40 minutes or until completely heated through and cheese is melted. 
10. Remove from heat and allow to rest for about 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.

Notes

1. Stick a few toothpicks into the assembled pasta to elevate the foil and keep it from sticking to the cheese layer.
2. Let the lasagna rest uncovered for at least 15 minutes before cutting for neater slices.