Lasagna - *Recipe Thursday!*

I've decided I'm going to designate Thursday as recipe day!  Now keep in mind, these aren't going to be some gourmet three-course meals, but they are still very tasty!!  My desire is to offer easy and inexpensive foods to average families with average budgets.  :]

** Lasagna **

Ingredients:

*  1 (12 oz) package lasagna noodles (I prefer "oven ready" so I don't have to take the extra time to boil them.  Look the packaging over carefully.  This will save you some time, and they're not expensive at all.) 
*  1 1/2 c. cottage cheese
*  2 eggs, slightly beaten
*  2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided*
*  1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese, divided*
*  1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
*  1 c. water
*  1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained

 *  FYI, when a recipe calls for an ingredient to be "divided", it means just cut the ingredient in half.  You'll use it more than once in the recipe.  

Directions:

1.)  If using regular lasagna noodles, boil them according to package directions.

2.)  In a medium bowl combine cottage cheese, 1 c. mozzarella, 1/4 c. parmesan,  and eggs; mix well.  Set aside.

3.)  In a separate bowl combine spaghetti sauce, water, and ground beef; mix well. 

4.)  In a 9x13 dish spread a layer of meat sauce.  Place sheets of lasagna over the sauce, enough to cover the dish.  (I can usually lay 3 side-by-side, then I break one in half and lay it the opposite direction at the top of the dish).  Spread layer of cheese mixture over lasagna.  Top with a layer of meat sauce.  Repeat layering once.  Top with lasagna noodles, then sauce.  

5.)  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan.  So your dish layers should look like this from the bottom to the top:

meat sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, meat sauce, noodles, cheese mixture, meat sauce, noodles, meat sauce, mozzarella & parmesan.  Make sense?

6.)  Wrap tightly with a double layer of foil.  Bake for 55-60 minutes or until fork tender.  Let stand for 10 minutes in foil before serving.

 We served this with a lettuce salad and garlic toast.  I like to take plain bagels, open them up, spread melted butter on them and sprinkle with garlic powder.  Then we pop them in the broiler until golden.  I like the thickness of them.  They're almost like texas toast.  Enjoy, everyone! :]