Lasso Lasagna

All single girls need a few recipes that are guaranteed man-pleasers. This is one of mine. And it's not just for guys: almost everyone loves lasagna!

Need a little extra credit with your sweetheart? Trying to get yourself out of the dog house? Ready to reel him in? I've decided to call this Lasso Lasagna in honor of its persuasive powers.

The original recipe is from Miss Leigh Reddick in the classic Robert F. Munroe School Cookbook. (Page 60 for those of you fortunate enough to have a copy.)

Along with its fabulous flavor, it's perfect for a dinner party because you can make it a day in advance and clean up the kitchen...then you just pop it in the oven the next evening. The only downside is you might be so busy eating it, you'll forget to take pictures of the finished product for your blog. Oops!

Lasagna
1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1 lb. ground chuck
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. basil
1 tsp. salt
1 (16 oz.) can whole tomatoes (undrained)*
2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste
10 oz. wide lasagana noodles
2 (12 oz.) cartons large curd cream-style cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
2 Tbsp. parsley flakes
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, sliced

Brown sausage and ground chuck; drain.

Add garlic, parsley flakes, basil, salt, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Simmer, uncovered, until thick, 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add water if necessary.

Cook noodles in boiling water until firm and tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Combine cottage cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Layer in a 13x9x2 inch baking dish lasagna, meat mixture, cottage cheese mixture, and slices of Mozzarella cheese. Top with additional Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting. Yield: 10 servings.

Note: May be frozen before baking for 4 to 6 weeks. Thaw before baking.

*Lynsley's Notes: I like to add some extra liquid/tomatoes to this so I can bake it without boiling the noodles. (Although, honestly, I think I've followed the original recipe and made it that way too. Is boiling lasagna noodles a thing of the past?)

This time, I doubled the Italian sausage for a 1:1 meat ratio, and I used two 28-oz. cans of diced tomatoes. I didn't realize how much I'd strayed from the recipe until I was done. But this was a good thing because I used an extra-large pan, so it was nice to have the additional sauce. I had to mix some more of the cottage cheese and mozzarella mix too so the layers were even.

I'd purchased a lot of fresh mozzarella when it was on sale this summer, so I defrosted that and put it on top. You can never have too much cheese in your lasagna.

It was scrumptious -- Leigh Ann thought it was even better than she remembered!