Lasagna

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1/2-3/4 cup minced onion

2 garlic cloves

1-2 TBS olive oil

2 14.5 oz cans diced Italian style tomatoes

2+ cups water

1 - 1 1/2 tsp salt

1-2 TBS brown sugar

Pinch of dried basil

For assembly:

1+ lb low fat cottage cheese

8+ oz shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz lasagna noodles (uncooked)

Directions

Brown hamburger with olive oil, onion, and garlic. Salt & pepper. Drain off grease.

Add all other ingredients through the basil and simmer 20-30 minutes.

In greased 9x13 glass pan, add some sauce to cover the bottom (try to avoid the chunks as much as possible)

Layer 1/2 dried noodles to fit pan, cottage cheese (spreading over noodles as best as possible), mozzarella cheese, hamburger sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layer with the other half of ingredients.

Cover with foil and let sit in fridge overnight if possible.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees. (take lasagna out of the fridge for 30 min if possible to warm it up some while preheating oven) Bake, covered, for 1 1/2 hours or until bubbly and heated through. How long it needs to cook depends on how cold it is when put in the oven and if the oven was preheated.

If possible, remove from oven and let sit approximately 15 minutes before serving to help it firm up as it cools slightly.

Notes

I put a sheet pan or piece of foil on the rack below while it cooks to catch any drips as it cooks since the pan is full. It doesn’t always drip but I do it as a precaution.

I do not follow the exact amounts of the ingredients beyond the hamburger sauce. I use them as a guide but use what noodles are needed to cover the pan and what looks good on the cottage cheese and other cheeses.