Savory Sundays: pepperoni, mac n' cheese lasagna style

A triumph! I'd never before made lasagna. It was something that I figured only the real experienced home cooks knew how to make, and I didn't think I fell into that category. But I've now conquered one of my fears in having made lasagna (yeast, you still frighten me!).

It was daunting but having gone through the process now I know I can do it again, and am rather anxious to try and make something a bit more healthy. This one was loaded with cheese and cheese and more cheese. Not saying it wasn't good but still.

Here's a link to the recipe.

Okay, while making this I was worried about the actual dish so I didn't take step-by-step pictures. Next time when I make it I'll be a bit more confident and I'll be able to take more and more pictures.

First I had to make the sauce. I melted 1/4 cup butter, added in flour and garlic to make a thick paste-kind of substance, and then slowly added in 2 1/2 cups half-and-half. After incorporating all the half-and-half, I took it off the heat and added 2 cups Parmesan cheese.

Instead of marinara sauce, this lasagna called for this cheese sauce. It tasted a bit like Alfredo sauce but not quite all the way there. I don't like Alfredo sauce but this sauce I tolerated. It wasn't my favorite flavor but it was okay. My wife loved it, however.

I boiled the lasagna, actually slightly undercooked it, and that was hard. I didn't know what it would or should look like slightly undercooked so I kinda played it by ear and it worked out well. The lasagna wasn't stiff but it sure wasn't cooked all the way through. I layered it and then spread the cheese sauce on it.

I had shredded about 1/2 pound mozzarella and 1/4 pound of Colby jack cheese (it called for cheddar but I had Colby jack). I added in 1/4 cup Parmesan, and layered the lasagna. I also used pepperonis in the layering process. I did cook the pepperonis in the oven a little bit to get some of the grease out of them. I topped it off with bread crumbs.

I was happy with the way the dish came out. It was quite cheesy and the flavors worked well together.
Still, I kept expecting to taste marinara sauce, so my mouth expected one thing but got another. The lasagna tasted well but it was also memorable for being my first foray into lasagna.