The Honorable Kent Conrad

United States Senator, North Dakota

Specialty Recipe

Extra Meaty Lasagna

This is a great main meal just for the family or for dinner guests. The only other dish you need with this is a tossed salad to make a complete meal. I use prepared tomato sauce because it's so good and saves time. ... Lucy Calautti (wife of Senator Kent Conrad)

Ingredients

1-1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 pound sweet Italian sausage links

1 teaspoon oregano

One 16-ounce jar seasoned meaty tomato sauce

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 cups low-fat creamed cottage cheese

2 Tablespoons dried parsley flakes

1 egg, beaten

1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

8 ounces lasagna noodles

Dash of salt

1/4 cup of vegetable or olive oil

Brown ground beef and onion. Add a small amount of oil to moisten if necessary. Remove ground beef and onion. Retain fat in pan and add sausage links. Brown on all sides. In saucepan, place tomato sauce, oregano, pepper, and garlic powder. Add ground beef and onion. Mix all ingredients and simmer. Drain fat from sausage, even patting sausage with towel to remove excess oil and fat. Place sausage in saucepan with tomato sauce and meat mixture and continue simmering. Do not boil. Stir often.

Meanwhile, bring water, dash of salt, and oil to boil in large pot. Add noodles one at a time. Bring to second boil, then follow cooking directions on lasagna package. While noodles are cooking, mix cottage cheese, parsley, and beaten egg in a bowl; set aside. Remove sausage from sauce and cut into 1/4-inch round slices. Stir sauce to avoid sticking. After sauce has cooked for 15 minutes (or until sausage is cooked through), remove from heat. Drain noodles.

Layer 1/2 of the noodles in a lightly greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish; spread with 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture. Add 1/2 of the sausage slices, then 1/2 of the sauce and meat mixture; sprinkle with 1/2 of the shredded mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Serve with tossed salad and you've got a complete meal.

Note: This recipe can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. If assembled in advance, bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Wait a few minutes after baking, then slice portions and serve.

Serves: 10

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