Christmas Night Lasagna
Who wants to cook all day on Christmas day? Not me! I prepare this delicious lasagna during the week prior to Christmas so I just have to pop it in the oven. This recipe makes 2 13x9" dishes. If you don't need both for your holiday dinner, freeze one for later. Just remove it the night before and allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.
Yield: 24 servingsPrep Time:
Cook Time:
Total Time:
Ingredients:
| 3 pounds | ground beef |
| 1 pound | bulk pork sausage |
| 1 | medium onion, chopped |
| 1 | medium green pepper, chopped |
| 2 (28-ounce) jars | meatless spaghetti sauce |
| 1 (15-ounce) can | tomato sauce, undiluted |
| 1 (6-ounce) can | tomato paste |
| 1 (8-ounce) package | fresh, sliced mushrooms |
| 2 teaspoons | Worcestershire sauce |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons | Italian seasoning |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons | salt, divided |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons | pepper, divided |
| 1 teaspoon | garlic powder |
| 2 | eggs, lightly beaten |
| 2 1/2 cups | (20 ounces) 4% small-curd cottage cheese |
| 1 (15-ounce) carton | ricotta cheese |
| 2 cups | (8 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese |
| 24 | lasagna noodles, cooked and drained |
| 12 slices | part-skim mozzarella cheese |
Directions:
In a Dutch oven or several large skillets, cook the beef, sausage, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, tomato paste, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, ricotta and remaining salt and pepper.
Spread 2 cups meat sauce each into two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Layer each with 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, four noodles, 1-1/4 cups cottage cheese mixture and three slices of mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Top with the remaining noodles, meat sauce and Parmesan.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 2 casseroles (12 servings each).
Source: tasteofhome.com
