Dutch Oven Lasagna

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground chuck , 80% lean
• 1 ½ cups white onion , diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 ⅝ pounds stewed or roasted diced tomatoes , undrained (4 cans)
• 4 cloves garlic , minced
• ½ cups fresh basil leaves , loosely packed, torn
• 8 ounces cream cheese , at room temperature
• 2 larges eggs
• 1 pounds mozzarella cheese , shredded (about 4 cups)
• 12 lasagna noodles , uncooked
• 4 fresh mozzarella balls , 4 oz each, torn into 1-2" chunks

Instructions

1. In a 7-quart Dutch oven, sauté the beef and onion over medium-high heat until the beef is browned and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain the extra fat from the pan.
2. Stir in the garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the tomatoes, fresh garlic, and basil and break the tomatoes into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Reserve two-thirds of the meat mixture (about 6 cups) in a large bowl.
3. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
4. In a separate large bowl, combine the cream cheese, ricotta, eggs, and 2 cups of the mozzarella.
5. Spread the remaining meat mixture evenly in the Dutch oven. Lay 4 of the lasagna noodles on top (break them as needed to fit). Top with one-third of the ricotta mixture and one-third of the freshly torn mozzarella.
6. Repeat the layers two more times, using half of the reserved meat mixture in each layer. Top with the remaining 2 cups shredded mozzarella.
7. Cover the Dutch oven, transfer to the oven, and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese is browned and bubbling, about 15 minutes longer.
8. Let the lasagna stand at least 30 minutes beforeserving to allow the dish to set, making for a cleaner serving.