Lasagna with Meat Sauce

Lasagna is something that everyone seems to love. It's ooey and gooey and saucy and full of flavor. Plus it feeds a lot of people! Don't worry, I won't be mad if you don't like lasagna. Everyone has their own preferences. With that said, let's be real...it would be rare that you have someone over for dinner and they are disappointed when lasagna shows up on the table. Seriously.

This recipe came from Travis' family. It's slightly adapted but it's more or less the same as when I got it. Delicious as always! The main difference is that I typically use ground turkey instead of ground beef. Both add a good flavor. Plus with the sausage in there I honestly can't tell the difference between ground beef and turkey. So use what you like or what you have!

Lasagna is a little bit of a process but in the end it is definitely worth it! One wonderful thing about lasagna is that you can easily freeze and thaw it before baking it so if you make it, you might as well make a lot of it so that you can have it more than once! Or, if you have company coming this is a great make-ahead dish so that all you have to do is pop it in the oven. Easy peasy.

Travis and I have been making homemade pasta for awhile now so we made homemade lasagna noodles for this. So. gosh. darn. good. Don't get me wrong, this lasagna is scrumptious with or without the fresh noodles. BUT, lasagna with fresh pasta is like eating pillows of noodles covered in gooey cheese and meaty tomato sauce. Yeah. Just stop and think about that for a minute...pillows of pasta. gooey cheese. meaty sauce. Enough said.

LASAGNA WITH MEAT SAUCE
prep time: 40 minutes; cook time: 45 minutes plus 15 minutes cooling
serves: 8-10

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground turkey (or ground beef)
• 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can whole tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 1 can tomato paste (12 ounces)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese + 1/2 cup for topping
• 16 ounces grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 box lasagna noodles, cooked and drained

DIRECTIONS

1. Brown ground turkey and sausage in a large pan over medium heat. Drain any excess fat and add the garlic to the pan. Sauté 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Slightly break apart the tomatoes as you stir. Stir in the basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. In a bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and grated mozzarella cheese.
4. In an ungreased 9 x 13" pan, alternate layers of sauce, noodles, and cheese, starting with a little sauce on the bottom. End with a layer of sauce and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese on top. 
5. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. 

NOTES

This recipe can easily be frozen after assembly then thawed and baked as directed!