Smoked 3 Meat Lasagna

Food is life! As the owner of a BBQ Business, I take that a step further and say BBQ is life! However, I know some people don't want to eat BBQ all the time, and so I like to show all the ways you can use our products that aren't BBQ specific. Our rubs and sauces are so versatile, they can be used for any style of cooking.

When you think about lasagna, you most likely aren't going to think smoker! However, lasagna like BBQ is family-friendly and even great for my single people! You can take the easy way out as lasagna dishes can be found in the frozen entree aisle or in most restaurants. Where is the fun in that?!?!?! This is a fun recipe that will have you wanting to make lasagna a regular part of your rotation.

If you don't have a smoker you can still make this dish in your oven, so don't feel pressure to use the smoker. If you have one though, it will be worth it. I Promise!

Here is a quick video on how I did the lasagna, below it will be a breakdown of the ingredients and the steps to make it happen! Give it a try and let me know what you think.

You may notice I don't give a lot of exact measurements for seasoning. I tend to let the spirits guide me, but it also is because I want people feel comfortable making the recipe their own, everyone likes things a bit different and I want people to season based on what fits them.A good rule-of-thumb for knowing when there’s enough seasoning is to put a layer on top of whatever you’re cooking. Just coat it. Throw some D’s on it! It might look like too much to some, but it’s not something you’ll regret. The pot is going to smell amazing. Your kitchen is going to smell amazing.  Most importantly, your food is going to taste amazing and that’s what it’s all about. 

Ingredients:

• Two small yellow onions
• Two bell peppers of your choosing (We used green and orange.)
• Mike D’s All Purpose Rub 
• Ground beef
• Smoked Chicken sausage
• Spicy ground pork
• Two cloves of garlic
• Tomato paste (12 oz.)
• A can of whole tomatoes (We used a can of whole San Marzano tomatoes.)
• Whole milk ricotta (not the small size)
• Two eggs
• Parsley
• Black Pepper
• Italian cheese blend
• Colby jack cheese
• Mozzarella cheese

1. Chop two small onions.
2. Chop two bell peppers of your choosing. We used one green and one orange.
3. In a large pot saute them (med high heat) with the award winning Mike D’s All Purpose rub until tender. (onions should be golden)
4. Add ground beef, chicken sausage, and spicy ground pork, and more of the all purpose rub. Break up the ground beef and pork into small pieces while it cooks and add a bit more of the all purpose rub (building layers of flavor)
5. Add two cloves of chopped garlic. 
6. Once meat is browned add twelve ounces of tomato paste and mix it well. It is okay if the paste starts to char a little, this helps to release the flavor!
7. Squeeze the whole tomatoes from the can over the pot, allowing the juices to drip into the pot. Add the tomatoes and leftover liquid in the can to the pot mixture and stir well and add a bit more of the all purpose rub (another layer of flavor)
8. Put the pot on the smoker uncovered at 250 degrees for forty-five minutes. You can use the wood/pellet of your choice. Hickory works well with this. If you don't have a smoker, at this point you can let it simmer on low for the same amount of time.

While this is smoking away time to make the Ricotta Cheese

1. In a medium bowl combine whole mild ricotta, two eggs, parsley, black pepper, and Italian blend cheese in a bowl.
2. Put the bowl of ricotta mixture into the freezer for five to ten minutes or until it thickens. 

Now to finish the lasagna:

1. Take the sauce from the smoker (or off the stove top) and set aside.
2. If using a pellet smoker raise the temperature to 350 degrees. If using a traditional smoker adjust your vents so the temp can rise to 350 and if using an oven start the preheat process.
3. In a baking dish, add a layer of the smoked lasagna sauce being sure to cover the corners and edges.
4. Add the noodles on top of the sauce followed by the ricotta mixture, and begin the sequence again with the sauce, but top each sauce layer with colby jack and mozzarella cheese.
5. Place the dish back on the smoker for thirty to thirty-five minutes.
6. Remove lasagna from the smoker (or oven) and let it rest for ten minutes before serving.