Ingredients
3 lbs ground beef
1 T black pepper
1 T salt
1 medium yellow onion; chopped
3 cloves garlic; minced
1 1/2 brick cream cheese; in 1 inch cubes
1 8 oz package parm/romano/asiago/mozz ‘italian’ cheese blend
Lasagna noodles cooked to package directions
1 can diced Italian tomatoes
1 8 oz your favorite red sauce
1 can of diced Italian tomatoes
8 oz cottage cheese
½ C parmesan cheese
1 t nutmeg
8 oz package shredded mozzarella or ball of fresh mozzarella
4 fresh tomatoes sliced
Bread Crumbs
Italian Seasoning
Preparation
Filling - Brown ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, pepper & sausage in skillet - drain grease off - then add cream cheese & Italian cheese mixture creating a thick mixture ~ transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
While filling cools Cook noodles and run under cold water to stop cooking process Combine cottage cheese, nutmeg, parmesan cheese & 1 T Italian seasoning in a bowl In a sauce pan combine canned tomatoes and red sauce; heat through on med/low heat.
Assembly: In greased baking dish - start with a ladle of sauce in the bottom then create layers as such: noodles - filling mixture - sauce - noodles - cottage cheese mixture - sauce and repeat ending with sauce topped with mozzarella and fresh tomato slices. Dust the top with bread crumbs & Italian seasoning.
Cook at 350 covered for 1 hour - uncover and cook for another 15-20 minutes until cheese browns. Let stand for 20 minutes before cutting.
- If possible make a day ahead and chill overnight ~ it will present much better on plates.
- Garlic Bread - slice fresh loaf of French bread; combine a package of cream cheese, stick of butter, 1 T garlic powder, 1 T Italian seasoning & 1 t onion powder; spread mixture on both side of bread, put loaf back together, then bake for 15 minutes @ 350, slice & serve.
