A good lasagne is one of those easy recipes that most cooks should have up their sleeves. They come in ever so handy. I can't think of the number of times that I have been invited to a pot luck/covered dish luncheon or supper and decided to make a lasagne to bring along.
I do this for several reasons really. One, I always, ALWAYS have the ingredients on hand in my cupboards and freezer to make one. I don't have to go scrambling around to find them, or send Todd to the shops for them. I hate having to send the Toddster to the shops for anything on his own. He tries his best, but invariably comes home with the wrong thing, bless him.
Have you ever noticed how many men are wandering around the grocery aisles with blank stares . . . looking for all the world like they are in no-man's land with cell phone glued to their ears?? If you have a man who can safely navigate the grocery store without having to phone home at least once and who arrives with exactly what you wanted him to get . . . hang onto him for dear life. He is a rare animal indeed!
The second reason this makes a great pot luck/covered dish to bring is that it's goes together quickly and is very easy to make (I think even Todd could make this with a few instructions) . . . and thirdly ( and most importantly) it's delicious! Everyone likes it. No bells. No whistles. Just plain good and simple old fashioned goodness. Enjoy!
*Easy Lasagne*
Serves 8Printable Recipe
No need for precooking the noodles in this. Delicious. Simple. Easy.
For the meat sauce:
1 pound of extra lean ground steaka bit of oil2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce (5 cups)garlic saltpepper to tasteFor the cheese filling:250ml of cottage cheese (1 cup)1 large free range egg90g of finely grated Parmesan chee1 TBS parsley flakesfreshly ground black pepperYou will also need:180g of mixed mozzarella and cheddar cheese, grated2 TBS finely grated Parmesan cheese1 cup of bechamel saucelasagne noodles, uncooked (In North American 12, in the UK you will need 12 also)First make the meat sauce. Scramble fry the minced steak in the oil in a large skillet until brown. Add the marinara sauce, garlic salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer slowly for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.Mix the cottage cheese, egg and Parmesan together. Stir in the parsley flakes and some black pepperButter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Spoon a bit of the meat sauce on the bottom of the dish to lightly cover.. Add a layer of noodles. Cover with half of the meat sauce. Spoon the cheese mixture over top and gently spoon out to cover. Sprinkle on half of the mozza/cheddar mixture. Top with another layer of noodles. Finish with the remaining meat sauce. Cover with the remaining cheese. Spread the bechamel sauce over top. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with foil and bake in a 180*C/350*F/gas mark 5 oven for 1 hour, uncovering for the last 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.