BBQ Lasagna

This is Dustin's ALL TIME favorite meal that I make. I make it on his birthday and whenever I need to tell him "thank you"! He had a little medical procedure done yesterday so I made it tonight as a Get Better Soon Dinner.

You'll read the recipe and say "But Jen! There's 5642321 ingredients!" Yep. But they are ingredients that you should have on hand, and it actually goes pretty quick. HOWEVER there's no need to make your own BBQ sauce - just use a bottle of your favorite store brand!

BBQ Lasagna

1lb ground beef
1C ketchup
1/2C brown sugar
1/4C lemon juice
2T cider vinegar
2T Worcestershire sauce
1T yellow mustard
1 garlic clove - minced
1/8tsp chili powder
1/8tsp lemon pepper
2T liquid smoke
6 lasagna noodles
2C shredded cheddar cheese
2C shredded mozzarella cheese

In a skillet brown the beef and drain off the excess fat.
In a small sauce pan combine the ketchup, brown sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, Worcestershire, mustard, garlic, chili powder, lemon pepper and liquid smoke. Bring to a boil. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 mins.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of water to a boil. HEAVILY SALT IT. Your pasta water should ALWAYS be like salt water. Cook the lasagna noodles. Drain the noodles.
Mix the bbq sauce with the hamburger.
In a loaf pan spread about 1/4C of the BBQ beef. Layer 2 noodles, 1/3 of the remaining beef, and 1/3 each of the cheeses. Repeat twice, ending with the cheese on top.
Bake uncovered at 350 for 50-60 mins. Let stand AT LEAST 10mins before cutting. This step ensures your lasagna will stay together and you won't have that dreaded anxiety of taking the first slice of lasagna out of the pan!! 1