The BEST Lasagna EVER!

Don't you just LOVE when a friend has you and your family over for dinner, your husband comments on how WONDERFUL the dinner is, and then said friend gives you the recipe for the BEST lasagna EVER???

This may not have happened to you, but I sure did happen to me. And I'm here to share that recipe with you!

In Jen's own handwriting! (with my notes)



Lasagna was one dish that I just could  not master on my own (mine turned out dry and crunchy!). I'm very thankful to my dear friend Jen for sharing this delicious recipe so that my family could enjoy it as often as we like. It's also a great hit each time I serve it to company!

This makes a great meal to share with others - a sick neighbor, a family with a new baby, or a friend in need. A fresh salad and a loaf of sourdough bread complete this meal.



Here's the recipe with pictures galor!

Jen's Amazing Lasagna

Ingredients For 9x13 pan (serves 8)

2 lb. ground beef

3 regular size jars Ragu Old World Sauce - Traditional flavor

1 box no boil noodles (or boil your favorite kind - I use whole wheat)

2 - 8 0z blocks cream cheese

1 lrg. container small curd cottage cheese

4 cups mozzarella cheese

 

Ready to get started! 

Ingredients for 8x8 pan (serves 4)

1 lb. ground beef

1 1/2 to 2 cans Ragu Old World Sauce - Traditional flavor

1/2 box no boil noodles (or boil your favorite noodles)

1 - 8 0z blocks cream cheese

1 small container small curd cottage cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese

And here's what you do with it all:

Brown the meat on med/high heat. Remove fat when done.

Add sauce and let simmer for 15 min or so.

Meanwhile blend together (with a hand mixer) cream cheese

and cottage cheese so there aren't any large lumps.

I like to cut the cream cheese into cubes so it blends without too much of a fight.

Nice and smooth...

All ready to go

Time to layer! Starting with sauce at the bottom, enough to cover it.

Then noodles... Use 4 per layer for 9x13 pan.

Only 3 noodles per layer for 8x8 pan. It's okay if they overlap a bit.

Didn't care for how this layer looked... noodles lined up.

Next time I placed them differently (2 and 2, side by side).

A bit more sauce...

dollop the cream cheese mixture on then swirl around...

sprinkle grated cheese...

Then repeat two more times:

(don't forget to spread the love to the corners!) 

noodles...
sauce...

cream cheese mixture...

grated cheese...

noodles...

sauce...

cream cheese mixture...

and top it off with remaining cheese!

Spray foil with oil generously and lay, oil side down, on top of lasagna.

Bake at 350 for 45 min with foil.

Remove foil and bake 15 min more, or until bubbly on the sides.

I usually place a cookie sheet under my lasagna pan while it's baking,

just to catch any drips. It's easier to clean up than scrubbing the oven!

Let sit for a few minutes, cut and enjoy!

  

This is a GREAT meal to share with others. When I hear news of a new baby coming, I make sure that I have the ingredients for 2 large dishes of this lasagna. One pan for our friends, and one for our family! Yum!

When I cook my own noodles to put in the lasagna, I start with sauce on the bottom,
but then layer up - noodles, sauce, cream cheese mixture, mozzarella, and repeat!

Layer upon tasty layer!

All done and ready for some foil.

These can be frozen or refrigerated until you are ready to bake them.

To deliver to a friend, just add some garlic bread, a ready-to-eat salad, paper plates, napkins, and a tasty dessert. I have included strawberry shortcake, brownies, or homemade chocolate chip cookies in the past.

I hope this simple recipe blesses you and your family, as well as anyone else you share it with!

Have a wonderful weekend,

  

EDITED ADDED 3/19/2016:

Now that I am a Trim Healthy Mama, I leave out the noodles replace them with layers of fresh baby spinach leaves instead! YUM! It's a great way to get your veggies in and enjoy tasty lasagna at the same time!

I'm linked up with: