Easy Kid Pleasin Lasagna

Several years ago, I used to sell Pampered Chef products.  I purchased many cookbooks from them throughout the years, even when I wasn't selling their products.  I just love their products and especially their stoneware, it is so awesome to bake with.  Along the way, I've prepared many of their recipes that my family and I literally love.  I'm going to be sharing some of those recipes along my blogging adventure.  Today, I've decided to share their easy recipe for lasagna.  It comes from their "Kids In The Kitchen" cookbook and is called "The Easiest Kid-Pleasin' Lasagna Ever".  Trust me, it is easy to make and it is kid approved!  However, I have made a few changes to it.  To me, it was a little too runny for my fancy and I like meat in my lasagna too.  In other words, I've tweaked it just a little bit. 


EASY LASAGNA
adapted from Pampered Chef Kids In The Kitchen cookbook

1 lb ground beef
1 (24-28 oz) jar of spaghetti sauce
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (do not drain)
1 egg
1 15 oz carton of low fat cottage cheese
8 uncooked lasagna noodles
4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese or whatever cheese blend you like best

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cook ground beef in a skillet.  Drain any excess grease.  In a 2 qt batter bowl, combine cooked ground beef, spaghetti sauce and the can of undrained diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (I like to blend the can of diced tomatoes in a blender before adding it to the spaghetti sauce, but you don't have to if you like your spaghetti sauce mixture chunky).

In a 1 qt batter bowl, mix egg with a whisk.  Add cottage cheese and 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese to the egg.  To assemble lasagna, spread 1/2 the spaghetti sauce mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 stoneware baker.  Place 3 uncooked lasagna noodles in a single layer lengthwise over the sauce and 1 noodle crosswise to cover the bottom of the baker(you might have to break the lasagna noodle to make it fit flat).  Press noodles in the sauce.  Now spread all the cottage cheese mixture evenly on top of the noodles in the sauce.  Sprinkle 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly.  Top with the remaining spaghetti sauce mixture and place the last 4 lasagna noodles like you did above make sure the noodles are pressed in the spaghetti sauce mixture.  Cover the baker with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and uncover carefully.  Sprinkle the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese.  Cover loosely with foil and let it stand for 10-15 minutes.  Cut into squares and enjoy!


The best part of this recipe is NOT having to precook the lasagna noodles.......talk about an easy recipe.  Right?  Somehow baking the lasagna in stoneware cooks the lasagna noodles wonderfully.  I hope your whole family enjoys this truly simple recipe.  It's a family lovin', crowd pleasin' recipe.  Also another church pot luck dinner winning dish.