Friday, December 17, 2010

Easiest Lasagna Ever - Great Neighbor Gift or for Yourself

If you're looking for a last minute gift for a friend or neighbor that's easy and they'll love, this is it!

My mom has made this lasagna for years, and it's always been a family favorite with us.  I think the recipe came from an old La Leche League cookbook.  It was often our Christmas dinner because everyone loved it, and it is so easy to put together because you don't cook the noodles first.  It's also SUPER easy to double or triple the recipe without added work, and makes a great gift because...who doesn't love having dinner made for them anytime of year.  I've gotten more thank you's and rave reviews about this than I have about any other "neighbor" gift.  It just took me about half an hour to put together 4 of these.

One recipe makes a BIG lasagna.  I was able to triple the recipe plus an extra box of noodles to make 4 lasagnas in 9x13 size pans.  I was also able to use a single recipe to make two lasangas in an 8x11 size pan.  When I've made this for just a married couple or single person, I make it in a foil loaf pan, or if you're making one for a smaller family, you can use a 9x9 pan.

Here's the basic recipe:
Mom's Easiest Lasagna Ever
Brown: 1 1/2 lbs. Lean ground beef or ground turkey, drain fat.

Put the cooked ground meat in a bowl and add 2-28 oz jars of spaghetti sauce

In small bowl combine:
24 oz cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten

Grate: Approx. 4 cups mozzarella cheese (or buy it already grated at Costco)

Also buy:
16 oz package UNCOOKED lasanga noodles.

This is how I set it up so everything is right there (amounts of ingredients shown are a triple batch)...but I forgot to put the noodles in the picture.
Layer in this order:

1. 1/3 meat sauce

2. Double layer of noodles

3. ½ cottage cheese mixture

4. 1/3 meat sauce.  (Make sure the noodles are completely covered by the cottage cheese mixture and/or the sauce mixture or the noodles will be tough.)

5. ½ mozzarella cheese

6. rest of noodles

7. rest of cottage cheese mixture

8. rest of meat sauce (Make sure the noodles are completely covered by the cottage cheese mixture and/or the sauce mixture or the noodles will be tough.)


9. rest of mozzarella cheese

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 1 ¼ hour (Approx. until noodles are fork tender).

I just write the baking directions and a note right on the aluminum foil...
(I forgot to label it as lasagna...but you'll probably want to do that.)

Sometimes I bake it for them and sometimes I give it to them to bake.  It depends on how much time I have between putting it together and giving it to them.  This freezes well if you cook it first.

What do you like to give as neighbor gifts or to the ladies you visit?

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6 comments:

  1. Thanks for reviving an old favorite, Polly! I was thinking about making the lasagna recipe again this year.

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  2. I really like this for a gift idea! Thanks for the recipe. Happy weekend...

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  3. What a great idea! Sounds yummy and easy. I love that they can freeze it as well. Thanks

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  4. looks great! thanks for sharing.
    what are spaghetti noodles for?
    :)
    Marie

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