Baking for Family Fun

Making Memories That Will Last a Lifetime

Dinnertime is one of the most important times of my family’s day. We catch up. We laugh. We talk about school. And best of all, we eat a healthy meal together. I started cooking at a very young age, and I want my kids to learn the same trade. Once a month, I have my kids choose a meal and make it together. They love it!

This month, the meal was lasagna and tossed salad. My older son works on the stove and chops with a knife, while my younger daughters do the pouring and measuring duties (it’s all about safety!). Their super-scrumptious lasagna recipe is kid-made, mom approved.

Lasagna With Tossed Salad

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (32-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (24-ounce) container Hiland Dairy Cottage Cheese
3 cups Hiland Dairy Colby Jack Cheese, shredded and divided
2 eggs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
12 lasagna noodles, cooked

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a large saucepan over medium heat, brown the ground beef and onions. Drain the grease.

Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, 2 cups shredded cheese, eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, dried parsley, salt and pepper.

Assemble lasagna in layers, starting by spreading 3/4 cup of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Next, add 4 lasagna noodles. Then, add 1 1/2 cups of the cottage cheese mixture and top with 1 cup meat sauce. Repeat layering twice.

Top with remaining noodles, sauce and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a fresh tossed salad with your favorite dressing and warm bread sticks.

Print this recipe.

Diva’s Tip

You can use uncooked lasagna noodles, too! Simply add ½ cup water to the edges of the dish before baking. And don’t forget to serve everyone a tall glass of Hiland Dairy Milk to complete the meal.

~The Dairy Diva