American Lasagna

Photo: flickr user GypsyFae

Ingredients

2 1/4 pounds lean ground beef

cup instant onion

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

4 teaspoons salt

3/8 teaspoon red pepper

1 tablespoon oregano

3 tablespoons parsley flakes

3 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste

3 (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce

2 1/4 cups hot water

3 lg. eggs, beaten

3 pounds cottage cheese

18 lasagna noodles, cooked (1 lb.)

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (12 oz.)

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Line four 8 x 8 x inch pans with aluminum foil. Allow enough to fold over top. Use one pan for each 6 servings or 1/4 of recipe. Do not line pans for food to be served without freezing.

Crumble beef; cook until lightly browned. Stir in onion. Cook until tender. Drain off fat; stir in seasonings, tomato paste, tomato sauce and hot water. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend eggs with cottage cheese.

In each pan spread a layer of meat mixture, about 3/4 cup). Add a layer each of noodles, meat mixture, cottage cheese mixture, cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used. To serve without freezing, bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. To heat frozen food remove from freezer wrap, place in a baking dish and bake at 400 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

NOTE: The sauce can be made and frozen in four equal portions. When you are ready to serve lasagna, you can mix your egg and cottage cheese mixture, grate your cheeses and put your noodles in uncooked. After mixture is layered, pour 1 cup water down the edges of your pan, cover and bake until noodles are tender, approximately 1 hour. Check this to make sure you don't need to add more water.