Brown: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, cook the ground beef, Italian sausage, and chopped onion over medium-high heat until the meat is fully browned. Drain off any excess fat.
Aromatics: Return the pot to the heat and stir in the minced garlic. Sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
The Broth: Pour in the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken broth. Stir in the sugar, balsamic vinegar, basil, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
Boil & Break: Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. While waiting, break your dry lasagna noodles into small, uneven pieces.
Simmer: Add the noodle pieces to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking together, until the pasta is tender (usually 10–12 minutes).
Serve: Remove the bay leaf. Ladle into bowls and top generously with cheese.
