Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce

• 1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3–4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped (optional)
• 1 can diced tomato, diced
• 1 can (24 oz) pasta sauce
• tomato paste
• paprika
• dried oregano
• dried basil
• thyme
• black pepper
• Cajun Seasoning
• all-purpose seasoning
• crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1–2 tbsp olive oil

For the Cheese Layer

• 1 ½ cups ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

For the Plantains

• 2 ripe sweet plantains (yellow with black spots)
• Oil for frying

Other

• 9–12 lasagna noodles (oven-ready or boiled)
• Extra mozzarella for topping

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🍳 Directions

1. Fry the Sweet Plantains

1. Slice plantains diagonally into medium-thick pieces.
2. Heat oil in a skillet on medium.
3. Fry plantain slices until golden brown on both sides.
4. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
   Set aside.

2. Make the Meat Sauce

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan.
2. Add onions, garlic, bell pepper, and tomato — sauté until softened.
3. Add ground beef and cook until browned.
4. Drain excess grease if needed.
5. Stir in tomato paste, pasta sauce, and all *your favorite seasonings*.
6. Simmer 10–15 minutes until rich and flavorful.

3. Mix the Cheese Filling

1. In a bowl, combine ricotta, egg, mozzarella, parmesan, and Italian seasoning.
2. Mix until smooth.

4. Assemble the Lasagna

Layer in a baking dish:

1. Sauce
2. Noodles
3. Cheese mixture
4. Fried sweet plantains
5. Repeat layers until pan is full.
6. Finish with sauce + mozzarella on top.

5. Bake

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes
• Remove foil and bake another 15–20 minutes until bubbly and golden
• Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting