Originally published on October 25, 2009
This really was the first thing I ever learned to cook. I still remember watching my mom make it in one of the first kitchens I remember. And lasagna night always meant that supper was going to be good! When I became much older, I asked my mom to teach me how to make it and of course, she did. She told me that two things were important: not to cook the lasagna noodles first even if the package said so because it’s a waste of time; and that you could use ricotta cheese if you wanted but it was more expensive and tasted the same.
Since then, I’ve had many different lasagnas that all use ricotta cheese. And I have to say, I actually prefer the cottage cheese. There’s just something about it that makes the lasagna even gooier and tastier! And she was right about the noodles too! I’ve tried cooking them before just to see if it would make any difference and not only did it not make a difference, but I find dry noodles much easier to work with.
But what I love most about this recipe? It comes from my mom and always takes me back to that time when I would sit on the kitchen stool and watch her pile it together piece by piece!
Ingredients:
1/2 package of lasagna noodles
2 pounds of ground beef
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large tubs of cottage cheese
2 cans of spaghetti sauce
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
1.) Spray a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.) In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef with the onion and the garlic mixed in. Once it has browned, drain.
3.) Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread out one layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce. Onto the noodles, spread out a thin (or thick if you’d like!) layer of the browned ground beef. Over the beef, spread a layer of cottage cheese. Top with one more layer of noodles and spread another thin layer of spaghetti sauce over the noodles. Repeat until you reach the top of the casserole dish, ending with a layer of lasagna noodles.
4.) Spread a thin layer of spaghetti sauce over the top layer of noodles. Over this sauce, spread out the shredded mozzarella cheese.
5.) Bake in the oven for 50 – 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
6.) Serve and enjoy!