Classic Lasagna

Wow.  I really didn't know how hard it was going to be to work AND keep up a blog.

Well, I guess the actual keeping up the blog would be easier if I weren't so darn tired all the time.  We have been having a lot of hot dogs, sandwiches...and.......fast food.

I did manage to make another recipe from my Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook. I don't know if they still have Souther Living parties, but that is where I got mine....oh and my wonderful stone bundt cake pan. :)

But, I have made this recipe twice now, and it is so good, but we didn't think it had enough of the meat sauce in it.  So, this time, I doubled the meat sauce. YUM!

Classic Lasagna

Ingredients

2 medium onions, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 

• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds lean ground beef 
• 1 (14.5-oz.) can basil, garlic, and oregano diced tomatoes 
• 2 (6-oz.) cans tomato paste
• 1 (8-oz.) can basil, garlic, and oregano tomato sauce 
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 12 lasagna noodles, uncooked; I used ready-to-bake 
• 1 (16-oz.) container low-curd cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 (6-oz.) packages part-skim mozzarella cheese slices 
• Garnish: chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

Sauté onion in 1 Tbsp. hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Add beef, and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes or until beef crumbles and is no longer pink. Drain beef mixture, and return to skillet. Stir in diced tomatoes, next 4 ingredients, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf; set meat sauce aside.Stir together ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, remaining 1/4 tsp. salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper until blended.Spoon half of the meat sauce mixture in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Shake excess water from noodles, and arrange 6 noodles over meat sauce; top with half of ricotta mixture and 1 package mozzarella cheese slices. Repeat layers once.Bake, covered, at 350° for 55 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until bubbly. Let lasagna stand 10 minutes before serving. Garnish, if desired.Note: The sauce is time-consuming but worth the extra effort. Make it on a weekend, and freeze it to enjoy later with lasagna or your favorite pasta.