My lasagna recipe is from my Aunt Trudie. She makes lasagna every year for my mother’s family’s Christmas Eve celebration. Served with Cesar salad, and garlic bread, of course. Growing up I only ate this lasagna once a year and would beg to take home some of the leftovers. Now, as an adult, I make it myself about 4 times a year. And I always make two at a time. One for now, one to freeze for later.

I also make the lasagna for friends (dinner guests, new babies, etc.), and they all agree with my husband – it is the best lasagna they’ve ever had. We’ve already eaten the two lasagnas I had frozen ahead for when Avery arrived, so it’s time to make some more. Plus, we have company coming for dinner this weekend.

Aunt Trudie’s Lasagna
Sauce:
1 pound Jimmy Dean Hot Pork Sausage
1 medium white onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 tbsp fresh crushed garlic (press from cloves or from a jar of minced garlic)
1 tsp of dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 can (16 ounces) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

Cook sausage, onion together until meat is brown. Add remaining above ingredients, simmer in a big stockpot or in a crock-pot on low. The “secret” to this recipe is to let the sauce cook for as long as you can – I usually let mine simmer for at least 6 hours.

When ready to prepare lasagna, preheat oven to 350. Assembly takes about 25 minutes or so:

Mix in a bowl:
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
3 eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley(if you have extra, save it to put on the top of the lasagna)

Other ingredients:
1 box of Lasagna noodles
4 cups mozzarella cheese slices or shredded
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of noodles – no need to boil them first. Add a layer of the cottage cheese mix, a layer of sauce, a layer of cheddar, a layer of mozzarella. Repeat, starting with another layer of noodles. Sprinkle a little bit of parsley on top for color. Cover in tinfoil and bake at 350 for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Take off foil ½ hour before end – keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get too brown or crispy for your liking. I personally love some crispy-cheese edges. Let set about 5 minutes before serving.

If freezing, assemble the lasagna, cover, and freeze. When ready to cook, take it out the night before, let it thaw, and then cook as usual. I’ve frozen them for up to a month with fabulous results.

Final note – this recipe is very heavy on cheese, which is why most people love it. It’s also why you shouldn’t eat it more than a few times a year because it will clog your arteries. When I make a double batch, I add an extra can of tomato sauce and whole tomatoes to make sure the sauce stretches and it’s a bit more balanced with the cheese.