Lasagna & Garlic Bread
I was not exactly excited to make Italian food for this project... something about me, Italian food is not my go-to genre of cuisine. However, duty calls, and so I was off to find some dish that would pique my interest. Typically, pasta's bore me. Pizza is boring. That about sums up the different authentic Italian dishes I can name. Then I'm reminded of an old friend, lasagna. Suddenly every sad lasagna my mom ever made flashes before my eyes. I'm determined to make a better one. Another thing about me is I (sometimes obsessively) count my calories and macronutrients. So I was determined to cut the fat in half, double the protein and, keep the carbs and a minimum. Which I proudly believe I accomplished and would give it my "macro-friendly" approval. Without further ado, enjoy!
Ingredients
-
1 pound ground beef
-
3/4 pound bulk pork sausage
-
3 cans (8 ounces each) tomato sauce
-
2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste
-
2 garlic cloves, minced
-
2 teaspoons sugar
-
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
-
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
-
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon pepper
-
3 large eggs
-
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
-
3 cups 4% Daisy small-curd cottage cheese
-
1 cup ricotta cheese
-
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
-
9 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
-
6 slices provolone cheese (about 6 ounces)
-
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Instructions
-
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook and crumble beef and sausage until no longer pink; drain. Add next 7 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
-
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add parsley; stir in cottage cheese, ricotta and Parmesan cheese.
-
Preheat oven to 375°. Spread 1 cup meat sauce in an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with 3 noodles, provolone cheese, 2 cups cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup mozzarella, 3 noodles, 2 cups meat sauce, remaining cottage cheese mixture and 1 cup mozzarella. Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce and mozzarella (dish will be full).
-
Cover; bake 50 minutes. Uncover; bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
At the end of it all, I was very pleased with how things turned out. Frankly, I was worried that the lasagna would come out wonky or not hold together. But I think I made something I could take home to the family! I had a couple of bumps, probably the main one was the pan sizing. I would have sized it down to maybe an 11x9 pan. I would have also taken the garlic bread out a few minutes earlier. However, none of these hiccups affected the overall outcome of the dish! Bravo to the whole team for their wonderful cooking!
Cooked by Chase
Fun Fact: A favorite meal of Chase's is breakfast for dinner!