Blue Ribbon Lasagna

I believe everyone should have a good lasagna recipe in their repertoire. This was one of my Mom's signature dishes and I'm grateful to have mastered it as well. The funny thing? All the times I ate this lasagna growing up, I never thought it was all that amazing. It wasn't until my taste buds grew up and became more experienced and wise, that they realized how awesome this recipe truly is.


Blue Ribbon Lasagna
Yield about 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Simmer Time: 1-2 hours
Baking Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: about 2-3 hours

INGREDIENTS:

1-1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons oregano
2 Tablespoons parsley flakes
2 Tablespoons basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
pepper
9 lasagna noodles, cooked
1 pint (2 cups) cottage cheese
2 eggs
2 cups monterey jack cheese, grated
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS:

Brown beef. Add onions and cook until they are transparent. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, oregano, parsley, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1-2 hours, until sauce is thickened.

While sauce is simmering, cook noodles. Drain and let dry.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. When sauce is ready, begin assembly of the dish. Mix cottage cheese and eggs together. In a 9x13-inch pan, layer cooked noodles, meat sauce, cottage cheese mixture, jack and mozzarella cheeses. Repeat layers three times.

Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes and enjoy!