Lasagna

I couldn't believe that I didn't have a posting for Lasagna when I looked for one so now here it is.  It's so much easier for me to just have to look in one place whenever I want to find a recipe and this is also so transportable.  If I'm on vacation, or visiting I can always find what I want, as long as I remember to post it.The basic recipe for the filling comes from an old Betty Crocker cookbook

(27th printing - 1976)  but of course I've made adjustments.  Since I wanted to make enough so I could bring a small one to Katie, who is suffering through radiation now (she already did chemo) I doubled the recipe and it makes enough for 2 large or 1 large and 2 small.  Since it's pretty time consuming to make lasagna it's a good idea to make more than needed at one time and freeze the extra ones.  I love leftovers!!

It looks like I could be doing an ad for Wegmans products based on the ingredients.  The only thing that isn't Wegmans is the Friendship cottage cheese.  The sea salt shouldn't be part of the ingredients but I had just gone shopping and it was still on the counter and wormed its way into the picture.

The ground beef needs to be browned

and then the sausage.  I don't always use sausage but it gives it some more flavor.

I find it's just as easy to cook the lasagna noodles as to soak the non boil kind.

I started with the cottage cheese mixture (above)

and then added the spinach to it (below)

A layer of sauce goes in the baking dish

Then a layer of lasagna noodles

Now the cheese mixture

followed by some sauce and mozzarella cheese

The recipe made all that is in the oven.  I wanted one of the small

ones to be vegetarian so I used all the meat mixture in the other two.

And this is how it looked when it came out of the oven.

 
Lasagna (single recipe)
12 Lasagna Noodles, cooked and well drained
large jar Spaghetti Sauce (you can make your own if so inclined)
¾ pound shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 lb Ground Beef
½ lb Italian Sausage


  Filling
  3 cups Cottage Cheese or Ricotta (24 oz)
  ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
  1 Tbls Parsley Flakes
  ¾ tsp Salt
  1 tsp Oregano Leaves


Heat oven to 350°.  
Cook lasagna noodles and drain.
Brown ground beef and sausage and set aside.
Mix together filling ingredients in a bowl.


In ungreased baking pan, 13x9x2 inches, put some sauce.
Layer the following:
lasagna noodles
cottage cheese mixture
meat mixture
sauce
mozzarella cheese


Finish with layer of noodles and sauce.
Sprinkle with ½ cup parmesan cheese
Add some shredded mozzarella if desired.


Bake uncovered 45 minutes.  Let stand 15 minutes after removing from oven for easier cutting.
If desired, lasagna can be frozen or refrigerated to cook later (allow an additional 10 - 15 minutes of cooking time if refrigerated).