Anyone that says they do not love lasagna is probably lying. OR they just haven’t had amazing lasagna. Try this recipe! Serious. This is a recipe even lasagna lovers will bookmark!
People learn to cook or bake and that great, but my mom has ALWAYS made amazing lasagna! The best part, is her recipe is a no boil noodle, no measuring cups, just lasagna pan, dump, pour, bake and ENJOY! Here is her recipe with a few minor adaptations for our families liking, feel free to do the same.
Items you will need:
- 1 box of lasagna noodles (not precooked, just plain Jane noodles.)
- 1 Large tub of cottage cheese, your favorite style. For one 9X13 lasagna we use 24 ounces.
- Garlic
- Parsley
- 1 Egg
- 1 lb of burger (traditionally I make with beef or venison) However, this works with other meat if seasoned accordingly- like other ground wild game.
- 3 jars of pasta sauce, your favorite will do. (I change it up, depending on the crowd. For traditional we go with herbs & cheese pasta sauce.)
- Parmesan Cheese
- Mozzarella Cheese
- A lasagna pan ***note if you want a stuffed lasagna or plan to adapt the recipe, the bigger/ deeper the pan, the better.
- A fork to stir the cottage cheese & beat your eggs
- **OPTIONAL** Onions, mushrooms, Cheddar cheese, Monterrey Jack cheese, an extra egg.
First, brown the burger. If adding onions, this is the time to saute them with the burger. Add 1 tsp of garlic powder, or fresh garlic (best flavor) as you finish browning the burger.
While cooking, grease a 9X13 lasagna pan. Open a sauce and pour 3/4 of the jar to cover the bottom of the cake pan. Place the first row of uncooked noodles in the bottom of the cake pan. Next, add the remainder of the jar of sauce. Sprinkle as to cover with Parmesan cheese. Place two large spoonfuls of cottage cheese over the Parmesan. If you are adding mushrooms, this is the time to add 1 large can of sliced mushrooms. Layer another row of uncooked noodles. Set aside.
Keep and eye on the burger ;-). Remove from heat. In your cottage cheese container, crack one egg- if you are using an over-sized deep dish lasagna pan, feel free to add the 2nd egg as well. Beat with fork. Mixing into cottage cheese, add parsley. 2 Tablespoons is sufficient, but we tend to get carried away since we often stuff our lasagna with cheese and delicious goodness! (About a 1/4 Cup)
Simply layer. One box of noodles takes approximately 3 jars of sauce to get a nice, saucy, but cheesy thick lasagna. If you do not use the entire box of noodles, it’s okay too.
Sauce, cottage cheese, noodles, repeat. If you are stuffing, after your second layer of noodles, begin to stuff your “extras” and repeat back to sauce. Layer until the pan is full, keeping the burger for the top layer. Pour remaining sauce needed over top and cover with tin foil. Place in oven at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Pull out and make sure the noodles are soft. (Check with a knife in the center.) If done, turn oven down to 375 and cover in Parmesan cheese. Warm until cheese is melted and your garlic toast or sides are complete. ENJOY! Happy Winter Break & Happy Baking!