Best Cuban Lasagna Recipes

CUBAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• In 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook about 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir in oregano, cumin and coriander. Cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomatoes. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel plantains; cut each lengthwise into thin strips. In heavy skillet, heat about 1/4 inch oil Fry plantain strips until golden brown on each side. Remove from skillet to paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool.
• Once beef mixture has simmered and thickened, stir in olives and cilantro. Remove from heat.
• To prepare lasagna, arrange one-third of plantains in even layer in bottom of baking dish. Top with half of beef mixture. Sprinkle one-third of cheese over beef. Arrange second one-third of plantains over cheese, followed by remaining beef mixture. Top with another one-third of cheese. Arrange last one-third of plantains on top. Sprinkle with half of remaining cheese.
• In small bowl, beat eggs and milk with whisk. Pour over top of layered ingredients in baking dish. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.
• Bake 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Cool 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

LATIN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the flour and cumin and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw starchy taste of the flour. Gradually add the broth, stirring to prevent lumps. Once all of the broth is added, stir in the milk. Continue to stir constantly until the sauce thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add half of the grated cheese and stir the sauce until the cheese has melted. Turn off the heat and transfer the sauce to a bowl. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chorizo. Cook and stir until it starts to brown, about 4 minutes, using a wooden spoon to break up any large pieces while it cooks. Add the turkey and continue to cook until both meats are browned 8 to 10 minutes. Drain out excess oil from the pan, if needed. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, oregano; season with salt and pepper.
• Line the bottom of the prepared baking dish with 1 layer of plantains (about 1/3 of the plantain slices), making sure that they don't overlap. Top the plantains with half of the meat mixture, spreading it out into an even layer so it covers the plantains. Top with half of the cheese sauce, spreading evenly with a spatula. Add another single layer of plantain slices side by side and cover with the remaining meat mixture and the remaining sauce. Add the final layer of plantains and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and a dusting of paprika over the top. Bake until the sauce is bubbly, about 45 to 60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

CLASSIC LASAGNA

Steps:

• Place the onions, garlic, carrot and celery in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; pulse until finely minced but not puréed.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking the sausage into small pieces, until slightly browned but not cooked all the way through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the partially cooked sausage to a plate. Set aside.
• Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and add the minced vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are very soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary.
• Add the wine; continue cooking, stirring to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the wine is mostly absorbed by the vegetables, a few minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, cream, salt, pepper, sugar, thyme and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, transfer the sausage to a cutting board and chop into smaller pieces (big chunks don't work well in lasagna).
• Add the sausage back to the pan and continue simmering, covered, until the sausage is fully cooked and the flavors meld together, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Fish out the bay leaves and discard.
• Combine the ricotta, cream cheese, egg, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until evenly combined. Add the basil and pulse until finely chopped.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Spread about 1½ cups of sauce in the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Arrange 3 noodles over the sauce. Dollop a third of the ricotta filling over the noodles, then spread evenly to cover. Sprinkle with ¾ cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering of sauce, noodles, ricotta filling and mozzarella 2 more times. Top with the remaining 3 noodles. Spoon the remaining sauce over the noodles, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and ¼ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.
• Spray a large piece of foil with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the lasagna tightly with the foil, sprayed side down. Bake for 40 minutes. Carefully uncover and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Bake, uncovered, until the noodles are tender, the sauce is bubbling, and the edges are golden and puffed, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 15 minutes before serving.
• Make-Ahead Instructions: The lasagna can be assembled and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead of time.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The lasagna can be frozen for up to 3 months. If freezing it prior to baking, when you're ready to cook it, defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then proceed with the baking instructions in the recipe. If the lasagna is already cooked, you can either put it in a freezer-safe container that just fits the leftover piece, or you can cut into individual pieces and wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Reheat it, covered with foil, in a 325°F oven until hot.

PUERTO RICAN-STYLE CHICKEN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute onion, bell peppers, shallots, sweet peppers, and scallions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer until flavors combine, about 1 hour. Add tomato paste to thicken the sauce, if necessary.
• Meanwhile, place chicken in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the thigh bone reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and let cool until easily handled.
• Fill a blender halfway with sauce. Cover and hold lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Pour into a pot. Repeat with remaining sauce. Cover to keep warm.
• Pull chicken meat off the bones. Heat olive oil in a saucepan and saute garlic until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the boiled chicken and shred it with 2 forks. Moisten the mixture with chicken broth. Add sazon seasoning and olives; mix well. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cover the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish with a layer of lasagna noodles. Cover with some sauce, followed by some chicken, then a layer of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining noodles, sauce, chicken, and cheese. Cover the final layer of mozzarella with Cheddar cheese for extra color. Cover with aluminum foil.
• Bake lasagna in the preheated oven until heated through and cheese is melted, about 25 minutes.