The Best Lasagne Ever!

Ok, that's a really bold statement...but I do love this recipe! Here in Georgia, it's getting cold and rainy out...time for some comfort food.

A Recipe: Lasagne

I'm not exactly a Foodie...in fact, I'd never even heard that word until a few months ago.
But recently, Villeroy & Boch sent me the most adorable dish...and you know how I am about dishes! Fortunately, it's a dish for something I actually make...Lasagne.

Ceramicplus French Garden Lasagne Dish


When I was just a teenager, the wife of the Minister of Music for the church I attended, invited all the choir members to their home for a youth party. She made the most amazing lasagne...best I'd ever tasted. A few years later, our church put out a cookbook of the member's recipes and...Yay, the recipe was in the cookbook. I've been making lasagne with this recipe ever since. I love to make it when I have company coming over for dinner because it's always a huge hit...and pretty much impossible to mess up.

Now church cook books can be a bit tricky. The recipes are typed up by volunteers and not always easy to follow. I'll show you the recipe as it appears in the cookbook and then I'll give you MY interpretation and how I always make it. After that, you're on your own. LOL :)



Larger view:



LASAGNE:

This recipe includes "Italian sausage" in addition to ground beef. You could just buy the Italian sausage already made (like Jimmy Dean) or you can make your own with the following recipe. I've tried it both ways and I have to say...making your own with this recipe to me tastes much better...and it only takes a sec.

Italian Sausage:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. pork sausage
1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp. marjoram
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil

Mix together the above ingredients and let set in refrigerator overnight. (optional)


Next you brown your Italian sausage with:
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 Tbsp basil
1 can tomatoes
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
2 tsp salt
2 12oz cans tomato paste

You probably already know this but...be sure to brown the sausage and dip off any grease prior to adding in the tomato paste. I always let the sauce simmer for about 20-30 minutes. If you're in a hurry, you could just use store-bought sauce. Sometimes I use that and "doctor" it up a bit with my own spices of choice.

Then, mix together:
3 cups (2 lb carton) cream style cottage cheese
2 beaten eggs
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp pepper


You'll also need:
8 Lasagne noodles
1 lb. Mozzarella cheese, grated (I just buy one of the 4 cup packages and use what it seems to need)

Place 1/2 or 4 noodles in 13 x 9 inch baking dish. (I think it's fine to spread a little sauce in first if you like, but the recipe says to place the noodles in first...and that's the way I usually do it.) Spread 1/2 cottage cheese mixture over noodles. Sprinkle grated cheese over this. Add 1/2 of meat sauce. Repeat this layer again. Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Good comfort food for a cold, rainy fall day!

A little info about my beautiful Villeroy & Boch baking dish...it's considered to be a "breakthrough in bakeware technology" because it's made with a new glaze that actually repels baked-on food! That means clean up only takes a few seconds...no scrubbing. :)




I guess you can tell I baked this around Halloween. :)





Mangia, Mangia!

Linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum. Hop over to Michael's to check out all the wonderful recipes for this week!