Lasagna Casserole

By srumbel

Growing up, this was the meal I always wanted on my birthday. Mother made the sauce from scratch, but I use store-bought spaghetti sauce to save time. Replace the ground beef with Italian sausage for more spice. —Deb Morrison, Skiatook, Oklahoma

from tasteofhome.com

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 1 pound medium pasta shells, cooked and drained
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3 cups (24 ounces) 4% cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 1 jar (24 ounces) pasta sauce

Preparation

Step 1

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Sprinkle with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the pasta, 3 cups mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley and remaining pepper. Transfer to a greased shallow 3-qt. baking dish. Top with beef mixture and spaghetti sauce (dish will be full).
3. Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Freeze option: Sprinkle casserole with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover and freeze unbaked casserole. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake casserole as directed, increasing time as necessary to heat through and for a thermometer inserted in center to read 165°. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Nutritional Facts

1 each: 667 calories, 30g fat (14g saturated fat), 157mg cholesterol, 1209mg sodium, 56g carbohydrate (12g sugars, 4g fiber), 44g protein .
Wine Pairings
Medium-Bodied Red Wine

Enjoy this recipe with a medium-bodied red wine such as Chianti, Sangiovese, Malbec or Zinfandel.