Oma’s Mock Lasagna

Oct 8, 2011 by Nathan    3 Comments    Posted under: Food, Recipes

This recipe comes from my mother-in-law, which my kids affectionately call “Oma”. She’s a great cook and an amazing baker. If you’ve ever had one of her pies you’ll beg her for more. At least that’s what I do. This dish is a family favorite and usually shows up on birthdays and other special occasions. I think it should be made more often since it’s so good. It’s also really easy and economical, this can easily feed a family of 4 under $10.

Needs:

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 bag of egg noodles (1 pound)
• 2 cups of spaghetti sauce (1 jar)
• 1 1/2 cups of cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1 package of cream cheese (8oz)
• 1 medium onion
• 1 large green or red bell pepper
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• Pre-heat oven to 350 F
• 10 minutes prep
• 45 minutes cooking
• Serves 6-8

Step 1: Use your noodle

1. Cook the egg noodles al dente
2. Hint: Take a few minutes off the time indicated on the package
3. Don’t over cook them because you’re going to finish them off in the oven
4. Drain and set aside

Step 2: Cheesy Goodness

1. Soften the cream cheese in the microwave
2. Combine the cheeses!
3. Stir together the cottage cheese, cream cheese, sour cream in a mixing bowl
4. I even got my brother-in-law Trevor to help
5. Set aside

Step 3: Cut and Dice

1. Dice the onion
2. Dice the garlic
3. Dice the bell peppers
4. Set aside

Step 4: Cook the Meat

1. Cook the ground beef in a skillet until brown
2. Drain off most of the fat off
3. Add the diced onion, garlic, and bell peppers
4. Cook for about 5 minutes
5. Stir in the pasta sauce and heat for a few minutes more
6. Remove from the heat and you guessed it, set aside

Step 5: Layering – just like lasagna (kind of)

1. Use a 9×11 baking pan
2. Add half of the noodles to the pan
3. Spread all of the cheese on top of the noodles
4. Add the rest of the noodles
5. Spread the meat on top of the noodles

Step 6: Baking

1. Place the pan in the oven for 20-30 minutes
2. You’ll know it’s done when the sides will start bubbling
3. Serve with some Italian bread, red wine, and enjoy!

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