Easy Cheesy Lasagna

When we started this blog, we soon realized that even though we cook a lot, we wing most stuff and aren't real good at following recipes.  

This was no exception...

Easy Cheesy Lasagna

There's lasagna made with love (Italian sausage, homemade sauce, five different cheeses), and then there's... 

lasagna made with love in the real world.  

(You know, when you got a lot more going on in your life than simmering and chopping all day.)   

And that's precisely what this  recipe is.  

Super easy, barely saucy, really cheesy lasagna.

 This little redhead pounded it down.  

"Whoever I point to makes the best Bizanya!" he announced.  

I held my breath, and as fate would have it, I got the finger.

Of course I doubled this, but hey - it's always better the next day, right?  Plus we ate this about 8:30 and were extra famished, then the Elders stopped by who were also famished, stuck a little in the freezer and we still had plenty for breakfast the next day.  

I know I have scaling back issues.

I'm working on it. 

 In the top ten comfort foods. 

Easily.

Since I've never actually used a recipe for lasagna, here's a flexible rundown of what I did: 

Easy Cheesy Lasagna

1 package lasagna noodles
1 lb. hamburger
1 can spaghetti sauce (I use Hunt's - the parmesan kind - you can get it on sale cheap and it's not bad)
1 29 oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 container cottage cheese
1 egg
parsley - Oh, I'd say a small handful
4 cups grated mozzarella cheese
parmesan cheese

Spray a 9 x 13 with Pam, or grease.   Brown hamburger in a heavy pot (I like getting a little sear on it for flavor), season generously with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.  Drain off grease and add sauce and tomatoes.  Simmer gently for about 1/2 hour (or more if you have time), until the meat is tender, stirring occasionally.

In a blender or food processor, blend the cottage cheese, egg and a little handful of grated parmesan cheese, and some parsley.  Blend until smooth.  

So the assembly begins...  Start with a small amount of sauce, ladled on the bottom so the noodles don't stick.  Divide the noodles into thirds, lay a third of them down.  Spread 1/3 of the cottage mixture over, then 1/3 of the sauce, then the mozzarella.  Repeat as needed. This would be needed two more times.  End by sprinkling parm over the mozzarella.  

Cover with foil.  Bake for about an hour at 350 degrees.  Remove the foil, give it another 15 minutes until lightly golden on top.  
Watch this time closely - mine took that long because I had simmered the sauce the day before, everything was cold, so you may need to knock off 15 minutes.

Recover with foil, let it sit for 10 minutes or so, while you put together some form of garlic bread and toss that salad.  

NOTE:  I never cook the noodles ahead of time.  You just don't need to. So what I do is  pour a cup of water over the assembled lasagna before baking, let it sit for and hour to absorb and you're good to go. Yeah I've done this lazy little shortcut  for about 30 years and it hasn't failed me yet.  


Lasagna, brings out the Italian hugger in me.

Posted by: Rona