Lasagna #2

This recipe is out of my husband’s family cookbook. It took me many years (about 10 out of our 20 year marriage) before my husband (a mama’s boy) told me he liked my lasagna best. It was AFTER I found this recipe. I’m always looking for the best recipe for our favorites – that is, until I find the “perfect” one. This one is just how we like to eat lasagna. I hope you enjoy it, too.

Note: It’s a good dish to split into two smaller pans if you are cooking for a sick friend at church. You can make one meal and serve two families of 4. Now that we have 6 in our family, though, I usually just make one and save the leftovers for the next day’s lunch!

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound of ground beef (recipe says up to 2 lbs., but I think that’s overkill)
1/2 onion chopped and fried with beef
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon basil or Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 can crushed tomatoes (16 oz) – or you can crush your own after peeling
1 cans tomato paste
10 oz lasagna noodles or 8 noodles (we use whole wheat)
24 oz cottage cheese (large or small curd – doesn’t matter)
2 beaten eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper or about 6 grinds
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 pound (16 oz) mozzarella cheese in thin slices or shredded (deli cheese works great)

INSTRUCTIONS:
Brown meat and onion and drain if greasy. Add next 6 ingredients. Simmer uncovered about an hour (great time to make a salad). Cook noodles in water. Drain noodles and swipe them each with a little butter so they won’t stick together and tear. Leave them aside in a strainer until ready for them. Combine cottage cheese with next five ingredients.

Place half of noodles in a greased 13X9X2-inch dish (or throw-away foil lasagna pan). Spread half cottage cheese mixture on top of noodles. Lay 1/2 the mozzarella cheese slices on next. Pour 1/2 meat mixture on top of cheese slices. Repeat layers. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top of last meat layer.

Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes. You may freeze and use later. Bake longer if frozen first. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serves 8 people.

Note: don’t try and skimp on the sauce and use canned or bottled pasta sauce that already has spices. Simmering your own sauce is what makes this recipe the best of the best. Also – this recipe works great with deer meat. If you like your lasagna a little spicier, add some red pepper flakes to the meat when it is frying. We normally sprinkle a bit of freshly ground Parmesan on individual slices of lasagna right before we eat.

{ Bon Appétit! }

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