How I Make Lasanga for Hubby and for Company

Our family absolutely loves my version of lasagna from the Better Homes and Gardens cook book. For hubby's birthday, I made this--after we got back from our weekend away, of course. :o)

We almost can't stand to eat lasagna anywhere else because we love our version so much. It's the perfect recipe for company because it tastes fabulous and can serve a lot of people. And you can always make it ahead and freeze it to take on the road if you need to.

The Rodgers' Favorite Lasagna Recipe

Step 1: Start Sauce:

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1/2c. chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced ( I use powdered.)

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes  (it calls for 14oz can but we like having extra sauce available)

1 14 oz can tomato sauce (It calls for 8oz. and you add water but we like the flavor from more sauce.

1 6-ounce can paste

1 Tablespoon crushed dried basil (Or more if you like!) I'm very generous with the basil. The recipe only calls for 2 tsp.

1 tsp. salt

Cook meat, onion, and garlic till meat is browned. Drain off fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes and all the above ingredients. Cover; simmer 15 minutes, stirring often.

Step 2: Cook lasagna noodles while sauce is simmering.

Ingredients: 1/2 box lasagna noodles (8 pieces), 1 Tb. cooking oil

Cook noodles until tender in boiling salted water with cooking oil added to water. Drain; rinse noodles. (I hang them over the side of the strainer pan or boiling pan so they don't stick together before I can use them. I noticed that Rina lays out her noodles on foil or wax paper. That would work too, but I think my way is quicker and saves foil. Ha!

 credit

 Step 3: While sauce is simmering and water is boiling, make cottage cheese mixture.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese (24oz large container)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2 T. dried parsley flakes (Don't ask me why..I can never taste the parsley!)

Beat eggs; add cottage cheese, parmeson, parsley 1 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper. Stir together and set aside.

Step 4: Slice 1 pound of mozzarella into thin rectangles. Set aside.

Rina's Entertainment Notebook has a great photo by photo tutorial for Lasagna

Step 5: Layer half of the noodles in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish; spread with half of the cottage cheese filing. Top with half of the mozzarella rectangles. And then spread on half the Lasagna sauce. Repeat one more time.

Step 6: Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese all over the top of the casserole. You can cook it right away by baking in a 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.  Or you can assemble early and refrigerate; Bake 45 minutes or till hot.

CRITICAL LAST STEP!! Let STAND for TEN minutes!! 

Or you will make my famous "Lasagna Soup" which is what Tim and I jokingly dubbed my first attempt at lasagna over 23 years ago.  Otherwise it won't have picture perfect layers. It will look like this instead. Or worse. Ha!

Happy Homemaking!