American Lasagna

Recipe from allrecipes.com

I never was a fan of lasagna until my sister made it for me as a teen and introduced me to Italian Sausage.  Divine!  Instead of all ground beef I substitute half of what is called for Italian Sausage.  No one in our house is a ricotta fan so we substitute cottage cheese straight across.  There seems to be not enough sauce to finish off the top so either make more of the meat sauce mixture or keep a bottle of spaghetti sauce on hand and spread it on top for what is lacking.  You'll see what I mean when you make it.  This is a good make ahead of time meal just pop it in the fridge until you need it.   You may need to add on a few extra minutes cooking time if you do that.  Dried Basil can be used in place of the fresh basil.

American Lasagna

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours
Servings: 8

"Lasagna appeals to the eye as well as to the taste buds. Here, ground beef, onion, garlic, basil, tomatoes and a dash of brown sugar make up the sauce, while ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs and parsley are the filling for this layered casserole. Prepare up to 2 days in advance, if desired, and chill covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Increase the baking time by about 15 minutes."
INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
12 dry lasagna noodles
2 eggs, beaten
1 pint part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown ground beef, onion and garlic; drain fat. Mix in basil, oregano, brown sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add lasagna noodles, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain. Lay noodles flat on towels, and blot dry.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and 1 teaspoon salt.
4. Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover noodles with 1/2 ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the top.
5. Bake in the preheated oven 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

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