Restaurant-Style Lasagna

1 lb ground beef
1 lb breakfast sausage (use my homemade recipe for this!!)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 - 14.5 oz cans whole tomatoes (or diced)
2 - 6 oz cans tomato paste
4 T. dried parsley flakes, seperated
2 T. dried basil
2-1/2 t. salt, seperated
about 10 lasagna noodles (depending how big your pan...I used 10)
1 T. olive oil
3 c. cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1 lb mozzarella cheese (slices or shredded)


In a large skillet, combine the beef, sausage and garlic. Cook until brown. Drain most of the fat. Add both cans of tomatoes & both cans of paste. Add 2 T parsley, 2 T basil, & 1 t. salt. Mix together thoroughly and simmer, uncovered for about 45 mins, stirring occasionally. In the meantime, boil lasagna noodles and add 1/2 t salt and 1 T olive oil to water to prevent noodles from sticking together. When noodles are done, drain and rinse with cold water, set aside. While noodles are cooking, mix together cottage cheese and eggs. Add parmesan cheese, 2 T parsley, and 1 t. salt. Mix together well.

Get your assembly line ready! (And use a deep dish 9x13 pan if you have one. If you don't (like me!), put a cookie sheet under the pan in the oven in case it bubbles over a little, you can catch the drips and not have to clean your oven!). Lay 4 lasagna noodles in the bottom of the pan, over-lapping as you go. (I put one at the bottom of the pan too...depending on your pan...just make it so the bottom is covered with noodles). Then spread half of the cottage cheese mixture on the noodles. Then put half of the mozz. cheese (1/2 lb) over the cottage cheese. Then put half of the meat mixture on top of the cottage cheese. Then repeat the process! Noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, meat. Spread evenly. You may finish by sprinkling parmesan cheese on top.

Now pop it into a 350 degree oven for 20-30 mins, until nice and bubbly! (Or you could cover and freeze it, unbaked. --Or cover and refrigerate it at this point, unbaked, for up to 2 days before baking.) Another thing you could do is to seperate it and freeze it in sections so you have a few meals ready to go in the freezer!

**This makes a big, thick pan of lasagna....perfect for having left-overs!! This fed our family for 3 meals (or 2 meals and 2 lunches for Nathan!!) and most of you know how much my family eats!!

Enjoy!!