Meaty Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

• servings: 12 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

12 lasagna noodles

1 lb. ground beef

5-6 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried oregano

32 oz. spaghetti sauce

5 oz. fresh baby spinach, chopped

5 oz. grated Parmesan, divided

8 oz. shredded whole milk mozzarella, divided

24 oz. 4% milkfat cottage cheese

2 large eggs

Kosher salt

fresh cracked pepper

fresh chopped parsley

grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cook lasagna noodles about 3 minutes less than their recommended cooking time. Toss in olive oil so they don't stick together.

Cook ground beef in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Crumbling with a spatula as it cooks. Add garlic, oregano, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for about a minute, stirring occasionally.

Pour spaghetti sauce into the pan and stir to combine.

In a large bowl combine fresh spinach, 1/2 the mozzarella cheese, 1/2 the Parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, and a couple large pinches of salt and pepper.

Spread 1 cup of sauce in the bottom of a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Layer three noodles on the bottom of the dish, overlapping them slightly.

Divide the spinach filling into 1/3's. Spread 1/3 of the filling on top of the noodles.

Drizzle a heaping 1/2 cup of meat sauce over the spinach filling and layer another 3 noodles.

Spread another 1/3 of the creamy spinach filling on top of the noodles.

Drizzle a heaping 1/2 cup of the meat sauce over the spinach filling and layer another 3 noodles.

Spread remaining spinach filling over the noodles. Drizzle with a heaping 1/2 cup of the meat sauce and top with the remaining 3 noodles.

Spread remaining meat sauce over the noodles in an even layer.

Top lasagna with remaining shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.

Let sit at least 10 minutes, then slice. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley, and enjoy!