Meal Making Monday Lasagna Recipe

First, this post was inspired by my super awesome (and totally amazingly dressed) friend Lindsey over @ Mama, Love + Style.  She does a "What I wore Wednesday" and has superb taste.  You know the crap you pin on Pinterest to eventually wear, but probably never will....she actually dresses that way and has since we were in high school.  Super cute!

Anyhow, I can't dress that cute...working on it.  But, I can cook like nobody's business!
I don't use any packet spices, nor do I measure unless I'm baking.  Sometimes I put in stuff I didn't put in last time and sometimes I don't.  Most of the time, it's quite delicious...on a rare occasion I have been known to allow the kids to eat cereal because it didn't work :)

Usually when I ask Mr. TSL what he wants for dinner, I get the response, "Something dead with cheese on it."  Or, "I don't care, I am so hungry I could eat the south end of a north bound cow."  I know, he's extremely charming and he's mine all mine ;)  He's the peanut butter to my jelly!

Lasagna 

You will need:

1 lb ground beef

1 lb italian sausage

16 oz shredded mozzarella

1 large container of cottage cheese

1 29oz can of tomato sauce

onion powder

garlic powder

oregano

parsley flakes

salt

pepper

brown sugar

1. Boil the noodles with the directions on the box....or just get the oven ready one's they are sooooo much easier!! (**you must dry the noodles with a paper towel before you put them in the lasagna or it will be all runny.)

2.  Brown the ground beef and the italian sausage in a large skillet. drain the grease.  (**you can use all sausage or all ground beef, it doesn't matter..or chicken if your heart desires :)

3. add the tomato sauce.  

4.  Here's where I may lose you.... 

sprinkle generously across the top the: onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, parsley flakes, salt and pepper.

then add about 2 tablespoons on brown sugar....trust me it takes the acidity of the tomato sauce way down.

5.  let the sauce cook for a little while. just to mix the flavors

6.  take the entire container of cottage cheese and dump it in your strainer.  let the milky stuff drain out...it will make the lasagna all soupy too if you don't.  You can always use ricotta, but cottage cheese is cheaper and just as delicious!

7. Layer that baby....

I always start with meat sauce on the bottom because then nothing will stick to the bottom of the pan.  

In a cake pan I start layering it.  It doesn't have to be exact, just put all the stuff in each section.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 40 min

her eyebrows even like it!

silly goose :)

yep, she feeds herself now.  big girl :)

hayley actually hates the sausage in it and picked it all out!

Make your life beautiful!!