D is for Dinner: Lasagna Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This week on All in a Day's D is for Dinner food segment, the team behind new Ottawa gourmet grilled cheese shop MLT DWN share their recipe for a lasagna grilled cheese sandwich.

Ingredients

Tomato Basil Sauce

• 1 tbsp olive oil.
• ½ onion, chopped (1/8 cup).
• 3 clove garlic, chopped (1 tbsp).
• 2 (28-oz) can whole Roma tomatoes.
• 1 tsp sugar.
• 2 tsp salt.
• ¼ tsp dry chili flakes.
• 6 leaves fresh basil, chopped.

Spinach Ricotta Filling

• 4 cups fresh baby spinach.
• 1 tsp olive oil.
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped.
• 2 tsp salt.
• ½ tsp black pepper.
• 1 egg.
• 1 ½ cups ricotta, drained.

Lasagna

• 4 (12 x 12) sheets fresh lasagna.
• 2 cups provolone, grated.
• 2 cups cheddar, grated.
• ½ cup Parmesan, grated.

Grilled Cheese

• 8 slices Texas white bread.
• 1 cup garlic butter.
• 2 cups provolone cheese, grated.

Directions

Tomato Basil Sauce

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; add chopped onions and stir while cooking for 1-2 minutes, or until onions are translucent.
2. Add chopped garlic to the pan; stir and cook for one minute, or until garlic is fragrant.
3. Add canned Roma tomatoes, sugar, salt, dry chili flakes, and fresh chopped basil; stir well, reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Remove cover, stir, and continue to simmer uncovered for 30 minutes; remove from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes.
5. Using an immersion blender, blend sauce until smooth and set aside until lasagna assembly.

Spinach Ricotta Filling

1. Add spinach to a pan with 2 teaspoons of water; cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, or until spinach wilts; remove spinach from pan and set aside.
2. In the same pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat; add garlic and stir while cooking for 30 seconds.
3. Return wilted spinach to the pan and stir while cooking for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.
4. In a large bowl, stir together the spinach mixture, drained ricotta, and egg until combined; wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Lasagna

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Pour 1 cup of tomato sauce into the bottom of the pan; lay 1 sheet of pasta over top.
3. Spread 1 ¼ cup of spinach and ricotta mixture over the sheet of pasta; top with ¾ cup provolone and ¾ cup cheddar. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the cheese.
4. Lay the second sheet of lasagna over top, followed by another 1 cup of tomato sauce.
5. Add the third sheet of lasagna over top, followed by another 1 ¼ cup of spinach and ricotta mix, ¾ cup Provolone, and ¾ cup cheddar. Add 1 cup of tomato sauce.
6. Lay the last sheet of pasta over top. Cover with 1 cup of tomato sauce and remaining cheese.
7. Cover pan with metal foil and bake for 20 minutes; remove foil and continue baking for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted throughout.
8. Remove from oven and set aside to cool to room temperature; once cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
9. Slice cold lasagna into nine 4 x 4-inch pieces.

Grilled Cheese

1. Butter 4 slices of Texas bread with garlic butter; place bread butter-side down on a clean surface.
2. Top each slice of bread with ¼ cup provolone cheese and 2 tablespoons of tomato basil sauce.
3. Place 1 slice of cooled and cut lasagna on each slice of bread; top each piece of lasagna with 2 tablespoons of tomato basil sauce and ¼ cup provolone cheese.
4. Butter one side of the remaining 4 slices of bread with remaining garlic butter; place bread, butter-side down, on top of the lasagna.
5. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat; place prepared sandwiches into the pan and cook evenly for 7-10 minutes per side, or until cheese melts and lasagna is heated throughout.
6. Remove sandwiches from pan, cut on a diagonal, and serve.