Susan’s Lasagna

Ingredients

2 ½ - 3 lbs. lean ground meat

1 - 2 links Italian sausage, remove from casing (optic

1 jar marinara sauce (I use Paul Newman's Tomato E

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1 chopped onion

1 chopped bell pepper (red or green)

3 - 4 minced garlic cloves

1 - 2 t. dried basil (or fresh)

1 - 2 t. dried oregano

1 t. dried rosemary

1/2 t. dried thyme

Directions

Brown ground meat and sausage and drain off fat. I don't use salt because the sauces usually have enough. Add everything else and usually about 1/2 jar of water. Simmer for about 3 hours, adding additional water as necessary. You don't want the sauce to be soupy or watery, but not really thick. I usually test it during the simmering process with a saltine cracker and adjust seasonings as necessary. To assemble, I use regular lasagna noodles, uncooked (I don't buy the special no cook noodles). Put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Layer of noodles, sauce and cheeses (I use mozzarella, cheddar, ricotta/or cottage cheese and parmesan cheeses). Repeat 2 - 3 times ending with the cheeses. I usually have enough to fill another 8 x 8 baking dish which I can freeze for later. I use about 1 lb. each of the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, a large container of ricotta or cottage cheese and I don't really know how much parmesan. I usually let everything sit a couple of hours or overnight in the fridge. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 - 45 minutes till bubbly (you don't want the cheeses to brown, so you may have to cover loosely with foil about 30 minutes into the baking time).

Tip: If you use the uncooked noodles, be sure to cover them completely with the sauce so they cook in the baking process.