THIS IS A BLOG-JACKING...for lasagna!

Hi all you Try to Keep Uppers (hmmm, that doesn't sound quite right?!) I'm Leslie's little sister Jill from Envirocraftiness.

 

Now there are rumours that my sister is a bit of a foodie.  I've even heard that some people are impressed and intimidated by her skills in the kitchen.  While Leslie does cook up some good eats, I have a secret to share with you.

SHE CLAIMS SHE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE LASAGNA.  

So I'm here to out her publicly and share my favourite recipe with you!

It's really top secret...  and by top secret, I mean it's the one off the back of the Catelli noodle box!

What you need:

12             lasagna noodles

1               medium onion (chopped)

1               clove of garlic (minced)

2 tbsp       olive oil

1+ lb        ground beef

2              jars of pasta sauce (700mL ea)

1/4 cup    chopped parsley

2 cups      cottage cheese or ricotta (the wet cottage cheese in the tub is just fine!)

1 pkg       chopped frozen spinach

1              egg

3/4 cup    shredded mozzarella cheese

Cook noodles according to package

As the water is coming to a boil, heat up your oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Also, if your spinach is still really frozen pop it in the microwave on defrost right now!

Sauté onion and garlic in oil until tender

Add ground beef and cook until browned

By now your spinach is probably coming along

and your noodles are cooking away

and your beef is heading to brownville

(ewww, that looks terrible!)

When noodles are done cooking, drain, and rinse with cold water (to stop the cooking process).  I usually just put the whole colander back over the pot until I'm ready for the noodles.

Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can.  I just grab it with my hands and squeeze by the handful!

Mix your cottage cheese, egg and DRAINED spinach in a medium sized bowl.

Add both jars of sauce to the meat mixture and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Now you have 3 distinct parts:

Noodles

Spinach mixture

Meat sauce

Layer 1 - meat sauce

Layer 2 - noodles

Layer 3 - meat sauce

Layer 4 - noodles

Layer 5 - SPINACH MIXTURE

Layer 6 - noodles

Layer 7 - meat sauce

Layer 8 - noodles

Layer 9 - meat sauce

Top with cheese

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes uncovered.  If your lasagna pan is very full, put it on a cookie sheet to help keep your oven cleaner! Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Thanks for making it through this insane picture post with me!

Leslie, make your husband some lasagna!

In the future I want to try making gluten free lasagna that uses eggplant slices as noodles!

 

It's been a slice! Come check me out over at www.envirocraftiness.com

 

~JILL