Lasagna Casserole

Layers of meat sauce, pasta and cheese. This dish is easy to make, but it does require a bit of cooking time to bring out the flavors. However, the effort is so worth it. If you don't have lasagna, use whatever pasta you have on hand, like rotini or shells. 

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 to 17 oz.) can tomato sauce, or you can use jarred pasta sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
2 c.  water
2 tsp. beef bouillon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. lasagna, cooked or rotini, or shells
1 c. cottage cheese or ricotta
8 oz. mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray or grease a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.

In a heavy cast iron skillet, add ground beef, onion and garlic.  Cook until the ground beef is no longer pink. Drain off excess fat.

Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, beef bouillon, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, and basil.  Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 90 minutes.

Arrange layers of lasagna or pasta, beef sauce, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese in a prepared casserole dish. You should have 3 layers.

Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese. 

Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.