So, you can't get much closer than this picture of my mom's lasagna. I did a close up so you can see the different layers of lusciousness. Even though are kids have all flown from the nest I still make this recipe because it's just so good. We always share with our dads and it is a great meal for holidays because it does serve a crowd. If I am being honest I had to work to fit all the ingredients in the picture; ground beef, mozzarella cheese cheese, diced or whole tomatoes in a can, onion, parmesan, tomato juice, tomato sauce, tomato paste, cottage cheese, lasagna noodles and a multitude of spices.
Chop, chop, chop, which means get the onion chopped and going in your large pot on the stove top. Sauté until soft about 4 or so minutes, add the ground beef and brown. Once all the beef is broken up and browned go ahead and drain the beef.
When I said a multitude of spices I wasn't kidding. I use garlic, Italian seasoning, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, I do not use basil as there is basil in the Italian seasoning.
Measure the spices sprinkle them on your ground beef mixture.
Once your spices are added to the mixture you want to give them a good stir and start adding the rest of the ingredients. Diced tomatoes, tomato paste and tomato juice are the next to enter the pot.
The saucy ingredients are added to the mixture and then add in the parmesan cheese and simmer for 30 minutes. This gives you time to get the noodles going and everything ready to layer in the pan.
Open up your box of lasagna noodles. Over the years of making my mom's lasagna recipe I have learned one thing. Break the noodles in half. I think they cook better in the boiling water and are so much easier to handle. Just my way of boiling the lasagna noodles but ... you do you! Once they have cooked according to the package directions, go ahead and drain the noodles. You can also take your cottage cheese and make sure you have strained the extra liquid from the container. I usually do this at the beginning of making the lasagna but to keep it simple I added it to this part of the dialogue.
Time to put our creation together. You can get out your lasagna pan. Don't we all have a pan we make our lasagna in? A 9 x 13 dish that is deep so you don't end up cleaning your oven after baking the lasagna.
Add your ingredients in this order: sauce, noodles, cheese, cottage cheese, then repeat one more time and finally end with the sauce. (so 3 layers of that amazing sauce)
Your final creation looks something like this but before you are ready to put the pan in the oven give it a light sprinkling of parmesan.
Go ahead and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. It should be bubbling around the edges when you take it out of the oven. Perhaps the most important part of this recipe. Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving to your family or guests.
Lasagna
Prep time: 40 minutes
Bake temp: 350°
Bake time: 45 minutes
1 medium onion
2 pounds ground beef
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
1/3 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 tablespoons parsley
½ teaspoon salt,
½ teaspoon oregano
2 - 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
2½ cups tomato juice
15 ounces diced tomato
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup parmesan cheese
10 lasagna noodles
3 cups mozzarella cheese
3 cups cottage cheese (drained of liquid)
Directions
1. Sauté chopped up onion in olive oil until onion is soft.
2. Brown ground beef with onion, drain.
3. Add spices to the mixture.
4. Next, add in tomato sauce, tomato juice, tomato paste and diced tomato.
5. Add in 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and simmer for 30 minutes.
6. Break Lasagna Noodles in half and boil according to package directions.
7. In a 9 x 13 pan layer in the following order; sauce, noodles, mozzarella cheese and cottage cheese.
8. Repeat in the same order of ingredients.
9. Finish with a layer of sauce. Sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese on the top of the lasagna.
10. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbling around the edges.
Missy Memos
It will never happen in this house but if you want to add mushrooms, that might work out great.
This lasagna makes great leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Freeze in an airtight refrigerator for up to a month
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