Recipe of the Week...Easy Make-Ahead Lasagna

Shortly after Mike and I got married he told me that I just HAD to get his sister Sandy's lasagna recipe because it was one of his favorite meals. Sandy happily obliged and wrote down her recipe for me so that I could make this dish for her little brother! Over the years I've tweaked her recipe to make it mine, and to this day it is still one of Mike's all-time favorite meals.

Ingredients:

• 1 large jar of Ragu with mushrooms (2 lb. 13 oz. size)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb. lean hamburger meat
• 1/2 to 3/4 of a 24 oz. container of lowfat cottage cheese
• 2 cups mozarella cheese
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lasagna noodles - uncooked

Method:
Brown hamburger meat and onion together until onions are tender and meat is no longer pink. Rinse hamburger meat with hot water to remove excess fat. In a large mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients, except the cheddar cheese and lasagna noodles. Spray a lasagna pan with non-stick cooking spray and spread 1/3 of the meat/sauce mixture in the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles and top with 1/3 of the remaining meat/sauce mixture. Repeat, ending with final layer of meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese and cover pan with foil. Place in refrigerator for 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake foil-covered lasagna for about 45 minutes or until hot and cheese on top is bubbly. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving. Can be served with a side salad and garlic toast - DELICIOUS!! Any leftovers can be frozen into individual serving containers to pack for lunches.

Wishing you a terrific day!