So sorry that I haven’t been able to post as frequently as I would like. School has been very hectic and time-consuming. But I’m back and have decided that I should share another family recipe that is a real crowd-pleaser. This is a recipe for lasagna that my mom has been making for years and has always been one of my favorites. Hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Mom’s Lasagna

This lasagna recipe has been a family favorite for a number of years. When Mom first started making this recipe, I don’t remember her putting sausage in it, so this recipe has definitely been refined through the years as our tastes have changed.

• 1 package oven-bake lasagna noodles
• 1 jar favorite tomato sauce
• 28 ounces tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 pound ground beef or 7% fat ground turkey, browned & seasoned with salt & pepper
• 1 pound Italian sausage, browned
• 1 pint small curd cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
• 1 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded

In a moderate size saucepan, brown Italian sausage, drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, brown ground meat (beef or turkey), drain fat and add jar and canned sauces, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Cook until mixture starts to bubble. Remove from heat and set aside. In a mixing bowl beat egg, add Parmesan cheese and cottage cheese. Mix until somewhat smooth and add parsley flakes. Set aside. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and place a small amount of sauce mixture in the pan to coat the bottom. Layer as follows:

1. 4 noodles, overlapping by at least 1/4-inch.
2. Using a regular sized table spoon (not a soup spoon), spoon cottage cheese mixture in dots down the length of the noodles, about 5 per row.
3. Place mozzarella cheese in small mounds over each of the dots.
4. Cover cheeses with another layer of noodles in the same fashion as before.
5. Repeat the cheese process.
6. Spoon meat mixture over top of the noodles.
7. Arrange half of the Italian sausage pieces on top of meat mixture.
8. Repeat noodles.
9. Repeat cheeses.
10. Repeat meat sauce.
11. Repeat Italian sausage.
12. Add a final row of noodles on top.
13. Top with the remaining meat mixture.
14. Top with mounds of mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until cheese on top just begins to brown slightly.  If cheese begins to brown too quickly, you can cover lasagna with aluminum foil. Remove and let sit for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.