This recipe is from my mom, who I think got it from her old trainer at the gym. It is by no means a "classic Italian" recipe, but it's delicious and super easy to make. I'm actually going to a wedding shower this weekend and was asked to make this for the meal. If someone is willing to serve it to their close friends and family, I'll take that as a high compliment.
Ingredients
1 pkg of No Boil noodles
1 lb ground beef (or combo ground beef/Italian sausage)
1 jar spaghetti sauce ( I use Chef's Tomato Basil)
2 cups Shredded low-fat Mozzarella
1 16 oz Low-fat, small curd cottage cheese (the green one at Wegmans)
Italian seasoning
Instructions
Cook the ground beef in a pan and season with a little italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Drain and let cool.
Spay a 9x13 with a little pam, making sure to hit the sides of the pan. You're going to layer next and the trick is to try and get full coverage with the no-bake noodles. I've split some in the past to make sure I get the best coverage possible and don't be afraid to overlap either. Your layers are as follows:
Sauce
Noodle
Cottage Cheese
Italian Season
Beef/Sausage
Shredded Cheese
Sauce
Repeat
In the end, you will top with the noodle and then sauce, shredded cheese, and sprinkle on the Italian seasoning to finish off.
I normally do two rounds of the layers and then finish but it really depends on the depth of your pan.
Cover with aluminum foil and at cook 350 degrees for 50-55, with the last 10 minutes being uncovered.
Some Tips/Tricks:
I love to make these freezer meals. Follow all the steps and then seal it up a freeze it. It's best to let thaw before you cook but you could always just tack on some cooking time if you need to cook from frozen.
Another fun thing I do is cook these in loaf pans, this is perfect for the freezer because they're smaller portions. You'll just need to work with the noodles to make sure you're getting full coverage. But it's perfect for 2 servings!
