Shortcut Family-Friendly Lasagna

Weeknight dinners can be a struggle, so I'm always looking for shortcuts to make my life a little easier. This family-friendly lasagna is one of my favorites. I love that it makes enough for two nights, my kids will it without complaining (a rarity around here), and it's easy to make. Keep reading to check out my recipe for family-friendly lasagna... and the shortcuts I use.

Shortcut Family-Friendly Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 9-12 oven ready lasagna noodles (Short cut - you don't have to cook the noodles before assembling the lasagna.)
• 1 pound / 500g hamburger (Short cut - have cooked hamburger ready to go in the freezer or fridge.)
• 2 (640mL) jars of pasta sauce (Short cut - use jarred sauce.)
• 500g lasagna style cottage cheese (regular cottage cheese or ricotta would work too)
• 2 tbsp dried parsley (Short cut - you can use fresh, but using dried is quicker.)
• 1 egg
• 3 cups grated mozzarella cheese (Short cut - you can buy pre-grated cheese.)
• 6 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese (Short cut - you can use fresh, but using the canned/shake version is quicker.)
• 3/4 cup water

Instructions:

1) Fry hamburger and add 2 jars of pasta sauce.

2) Combine cottage cheese with parsley and an egg.

3) In a 13x9 greased baking dish:

• spread 1/3 of sauce
• top with 3 1/2 lasagna noodles
• top with 1/2 the cottage cheese mixture
• sprinkle with one cup mozzarella cheese and 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese 
• spread another 1/3 of sauce
• top with 3 1/2 lasagna noodles
• top with remaining cottage cheese mixture
• top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• top with 3 1/2 lasagna noodles, remaining sauce, remaining mozzarella cheese and remaining Parmesan cheese
• drizzle with water 

4) Cover with tin foil and bake in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for 50-55 minutes. Remove covering for the last 10 minutes.

5) Let stand for 15 minutes, and then serve.

I like to serve my lasagna with garlic bread and a simple salad. (I love spring mix with strawberries, a crunchy salad topper, and an olive oil/balsamic vinegar dressing.)

I highly recommend this simple, short cut family-friendly lasagna. It's fantastic for a weekday, but works well for a Sunday supper too. Who doesn't love a meal that feeds a crowd and everyone enjoys?

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

PS - You can find more family friendly recipes ideas here.