I recently got a #ComfortVox box in the mail from Influenster.com. It was full of awesome free samples and coupons. One of those coupons was a for a free jar of Ragu. Today I am going to share my recipe for lasagna that we made with Ragu. I made 2 pans full of lasagna, one for us and one for my neighbor. She recently had a baby and that makes her #5 so I thought I would help her make dinner one night for the family.
I grew up with my grandmother and everyone I knew using Ragu. It was years before I knew it wasn't the only pasta sauce out there (lol), When I got married I continued to use Ragu. Then I stopped making pasta for a long time because my ex hated any form of pasta and it just was a big hassle to deal with making something he hated. When we separated I think I made lasagna 3 times a week for 6 months :).
This is my daughter redeeming our free coupon for Ragu :)
I am sure everyone knows how to make lasagna but here is my quick and simple recipe. Warning, it is very cheesy so if you aren't a cheese fan you will have to make changes.
1 box of lasagna noodles. (it usually takes around 9 long noodles for each pan) I used oven ready
16 oz of cottage cheese ( we only like Kroger brand for some reason)
8 oz of finely shredded mozzarella cheese
sauce
1 jar of your favorite flavor Ragu
14 oz can of petite diced cut tomatoes
1/2 lb of hamburger meat
Sauce
I brown the hamburger and drain the grease off of it. Then I add a jar of Ragu and a can of petite cut diced tomatoes. (everyone always things I have made from scratch my sauce because of the added tomatoes) Let it cook for about 15 minutes to get all the flavors mixed.
I always mix my cheeses, so in a medium bowl combine the cottage cheese and the mozzarella cheese. Even though my noodles were oven ready I like to give them a quick dip in bowling water just to soften them. I get the water boiling, dip the noodles for about a minute or so then put in the pan.
I put a layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. I never measure but its probably about a cup of sauce then I add 3 noodles side by side, Layer 1/2 the cheese mix on top of the noodles, Put a layer of sauce, Top that with 3 more noodles, then put the rest of the cheese for another layer of cheese and then 3 more noodles. Then I put another cup or some of sauce on the top. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. About 10 minutes before its done I like to sprinkle a handful of mozzarella cheese over top the sauce to brown. When you first take it out of the oven it will be very runny because of the melted cheese. We let it sit about 20 minutes before cutting to keep it from being so runny.
This was so good, that we almost licked the pan. Apparently it has been too long since I made lasagna because usually we have leftovers to eat the next day but we ate the whole pan in one evening. I also make stuffed shells just the same way only instead of layering the noodles, I stuff the shells with the cheese mix and put sauce of them. My daughter thinks it taste better as stuffed shells. I tell her its exactly the same but she still swears by stuffed noodles. I really want to say thanks to Influenster and #Ragu4You for the free sauce.
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