Okay, so I have this lasagna recipe that is easy, delicious, and award winning(I once won a Relief Society lasagna cook-off. I was stoked!). And I opened my big mouth on Facebook and told the world! So now I've promised to post the recipe online. But I'm more than happy to share!
It originated from a family recipe from Bryan's side(Bryan's mom got it from a ward that they were in, so actually, it's technically not even a 'family' recipe.). I tweaked it to my liking/laziness factor, and as it turns out, everyone around me really likes it, too! It's not a secret, so I don't feel bad in divulging it to anyone. Just know that if you are sick or have recently given birth/ I visit teach you or you need a meal for whatever reason, this is the meal I give to people. It.Is.FABULOUS! It's quite cheesy and melt in your mouth. I want some just thinking about it!
Also note that I'm not that organized and I never think to actually take pictures of the food I make (I don't have pretty enough serving dishes anyway), so this picture isn't MY lasagna. This picture looks kinda gross to me. It seriously does not even compare to how a lasagna could look and taste! :) I think this is actually a picture of enchiladas posing as a lasagna. Anyway...
Another great thing about this dish is that there aren't any soft cheeses in it, so it's safe for pregnant women. I really hope you enjoy this; we love it!
Best Lasagna Ever
You will need:
Meat Sauce
Cheese Mixture
1 lb grated mozzarella
Lasagna noodles (I use Barilla No Boil Flat Noodles. I swear by them. Not to mention that it makes this recipe much MUCH faster to make! You can find them in all grocery stores, but not Target or WalMart. Go figure.)
Preparation:
Meat Sauce:
1 lb ground turkey
1Tb minced garlic
drizzle olive oil- for fewer calories, substitute a few sprays of Pam cooking spray (to keep meat from burning in pan)
1 tsp salt
1tsp Basil
SMALL DASH cinnamon (seriously, just a dash. This is the secret ingredient; If you put in too much it will make your lasagna too sweet and pretty much be ruined)
32 oz (2 lb) Spaghetti Sauce (I prefer Classico, but it doesn't make much of a difference)
- Brown ground turkey in the olive oil & garlic; drain fat. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 lb (yes, 1 pound) grated mozzarella cheese
2 eggs (original recipe says to beat them first, but let's get real. This isn't souffle. It doesn't make a difference)
2 Tb dried parsley flakes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
- Mix all ingredients together well. It's easiest to get a good mix if you put half the cottage cheese on the bottom, the other ingredients, then the other half of the cottage cheese on top. A little bit of a pain, but the rest of the recipe is so darn easy it's not too bad.
- In 13X9 buttered pan, layer in this order: lasagna noodles, cheese mixture, meat mixture, mozzarella cheese. Layer until you have nothing left to layer. I can get about 3 good layers. (you might have a few lasagna noodles left over, no worries) Top with remaining Mozzarella.
- Bake @375 for 30 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting (super important! I know you just want to cut into that thing, but it needs a little time to cool and set. If you cut right away, you have a huge gelatinous mess on your hands!)
- Best served with a crunchy garden salad & garlic bread.
- ENJOY!
