Pepperoni, Macaroni and Cheese "Lasagna Style"

Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

Show: Easy Entertaining with Michael ChiarelloEpisode: Happy Trails Birthday Party

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (32)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(32)

Cook Time:
1 hr 0 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
8 servings

Times:

Prep: 30 min
Inactive Prep: 5 min
Cook: 1 hr 0 min
Total:: 1 hr 35 min

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Ingredients

Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound lasagna
Olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups half-and-half
2 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or other good-quality Parmesan
4 ounces grated Cheddar
8 ounces grated mozzarella
1 pound pepperoni, sliced thin
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

Directions

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt carefully add the lasagna noodles. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to a low boil and cook for about 5 minutes, or until pasta is very al dente (slightly undercooked). Drain in a colander, rinse slightly and drizzle with olive oil to prevent sticking.

In a heavy, medium saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and then the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half-and-half little by little. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat; add 2 cups of the grated Parmesan. Season with the salt, pepper and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine 1/4 cup Parmesan, Cheddar, and mozzarella. Toss to combine.

Grease a 3-quart baking dish or casserole with 1 tablespoon of butter. Spread a ladle full of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Cover the sauce with a single layer of cooked lasagna noodles. Spread another ladle full of sauce on top of noodles. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese mixture. Top with 1/3 of the sliced pepperoni. Repeat with remaining ingredients for 2 more layers.

Sprinkle 1/2 cup bread crumbs onto top of lasagna and top with remaining grated Parmesan, 1/4 cup. Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbly and hot and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes before serving.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Pepperoni, Macaroni and Cheese "Lasagna Style"
Mary Lancaster, CA 03-07-2010
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Very Different and Different is usually good
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I love lasgna. I've taken several different receipes and created my own, but this one, not sure I want to change it. I've... read the reviews and took some suggestions into consideration. I did microwave the pepperoni before using it to take off as much fat as possible. I'm sensitive to salt, don't use lots of it, and this one has lots of salt due to the cheeses, but, I love all the cheese. I didn't run out of sauce like the others said, I ran out of noodles, I usually do when I make a lasagna. Because I make lasagna a lot, I used no bake noodles and that cut the time in half. The sauce was much thicker than I thought, so I thinned it out with more 1/2 and 1/2. I used a lot more parm because, again, I like cheese. I didn't use but 1/2 lb of pepperoni, that might be a mistake, but, I think it turned out just fine. I find with some receipes on foodnetwork, there seems to be something left out of the receipes, but, not this one. If you like to cook and you cook all the time, it is easy to read a receipe, you can figure it out pretty quickly and make the adjustments. I will add this one to my list for social gatherings.Read more
recipe Pepperoni, Macaroni and Cheese "Lasagna Style"
Misti Tulsa, OK 11-23-2009
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picky eater loved it!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

My boyfriend is the pickiest guy ever. We usually end up at Dennys Thanksgiving evening. But ever since I found this recipe,... we haven't gone because he's full!! I added more garlic, and did half parmesan and half asigo cheese. A+Read more
recipe Pepperoni, Macaroni and Cheese "Lasagna Style"
Robert Altadena, CA 11-22-2009
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READ THESE TIPS!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

These modifications will be helpful, but overall it was a fabulous recipe and it was a hit at the potluck. Before I made... it I read other people's comments and compiled all the tips that sounded worthwhile. here they are: -Cover it in foil for the first 30 minutes, remove for the last 15, so that it is just the right crispiness -Put the pasta in a bowl of cooler water and leave it until you need it, rather than putting some olive oil on it. -DOUBLE THE SAUCE: I read this in many reviews but one person said 1 1/2 times the sauce works and I thought that sounded reasonable but I STILL RAN OUT... so definitely double the batch, and even then, use sparingly to make sure you don't run out. -Many comments said it was too greasy so I microwaved the pepperoni first on paper towels, this took a little bit out, but not a whole lot, and ultimately the grease didn't bother me, but it's a matter of personal taste. This is fairly easy to make. I'm a noobie so this took me at least 2 hours.Read more
recipe Pepperoni, Macaroni and Cheese "Lasagna Style"
Brenton Dracut, MA 07-03-2009
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Needs some modifications
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

With a few changes, this is a great recipe. It goes over really well and disappears fast when we have pot-luck dinners at... work. The way I make this, it comes out a thicker and more moist than in the picture. I cook the pasta nice and soft so it has an overall more soft and gooey texture than the crispy appearance of the picture. I also usually leave out the pepperoni since I'm not a fan of it, so I don't know how that would affect the outcome. Here are my recommendations: 1. After you boil the lasagna, drain the hot water from the pot, and put in cold water to stop the pasta from cooking any further. Leave it in the water until you're ready to use it. The first time I made this recipe, I followed the instructions, and the lasagna dried out, even with the olive oil. After I baked it, it was so dry, it was like eating uncooked pasta. 2. Make more sauce. I find at a minimum you should make 1 1/2 batch of sauce. I grate my parmesan myself, and I dont feel like grating 2 batches worth. 1 1/2 batch seems to work well. 3. Cover the top layer in sauce, then put the bread crumbs on top. This keeps the top layer from drying out too much. This way it isn't impossible to cut. I also use more bread crumbs than the recipe calls for. I just eyeball it. 4. I usually cook it for 40 minutes. For the first 30 min, I cook it covered in tin foil with some holes poked in it. For the last 10 min, I cook it uncovered to crisp up the breadcrumbs.Read more
recipe Pepperoni, Macaroni and Cheese "Lasagna Style"
Shannon Citrus Heights, CA 06-19-2009
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Awesome, but double the sauce.
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Been making this one forever, love it. Yes, cooking the pepperoni a bit before is a good idea to get some of the grease off,... but, the main thing I've done is double the cream sauce recipe. Helps TREMENDOUSLY. Yeah, it's fattening, but like regular lasagna, we don't make stuff like this everyday. In my house, this is gone in a flash. I've also made for a friend's family while my friend was recovering from surgery. It got two thumbs way, way up. Read more
recipe Pepperoni, Macaroni and Cheese "Lasagna Style"
Melanie Douglas, GA 06-08-2009
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So glad I found this!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have been cooking this lasagna for a couple of years now and I must say it is absolutely fabulous! Granted, I do know there... is a ton of fat in this recipe, I love cooking it occasionally because my whole family loves it! The first time I cooked it, I was like many others, trying to get more cheese because there wasn't enough for every layer, running out of sauce, and getting my top too crispy. I ended up using whole bags of cheese and using the sauce more sparingly my next go around. As for the topping, I usually bake it for 30 minutes instead of 45 and it turns out perfectly! I liked another reviewer's advice for using foil and I will try that next time. I usually cook the pepperoni in my microwave on paper towels so as to reduce the grease factor and it does make it so much less greasy. Love this meal paired with a salad and can't wait to bake it again!Read more