Tried & True Lasagna

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• 9 -12 lasagna noodles, cooked & held in cool water
• 1 1/2 lbs ground meat (beef, ital. sausage, turkey, venison)
• 1 (28 ounce) can spaghetti sauce
• 1 (10 ounce) can tomato soup
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 cups mozzarella cheese, grated (divided)
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (topping)

Recipe

• 1 cook the pasta and hold in a pot of lukewarm water; set aside.
• 2 brown the meat, then add sauce, soup, seasonings; let simmer for a few minutes to meld the flavors. feel free to add some water to keep the sauce "loose" --
• 3 in a small bowl, mix cottage cheese and parmesan cheese; set aside.
• 4 preheat oven to 350.
• 5 layer in pan in the following order --
• 6 three to four noodles, half the meat sauce.
• 7 three to four noodles, half the cottage-parmesan cheese (spread dollops out evenly).
• 8 three to four noodles, sprinkle two cups of mozzarella cheese.
• 9 three to four noodles, remaining meat, cottage-parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese.
• 10 finish with remaining parmesan.
• 11 pop in the oven for 60 minutes; let stand 10-15 minutes before serving (easier to cut and serve).
• 12 no cook noodle method: leave lasagna uncooked; use same number of noodles, just spread them out so they are evenly distributed in their layers. when all layers are in the pan, pour in about 1/2 to 3/4 cup very hot water around edges. cover pan tightly with foil to create a steamy environment. check the noodles after 1 hr 15 minutes; if soft, remove foil completely (you might want to add a bit extra cheese at this point), pop back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes to get golden brown and bubbly.
• 13 note: use any combination of meat or all of one kind--whatever you like!