Spaghetti Lasagna with Garlic Cheese Toast

Spaghetti is one of the few meals that I can count on all 3 of my kids getting excited about. I try to change it up and sometimes they like the changes, sometimes they don't. This is one of the changes they enjoy and it allows me and my husband a change to the plain old boring spaghetti routine. You get a lot of the flavor of lasagna, but in an easy weeknight dinner meal.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground sirloin/beef or turkey
1/2 lb. sausage (I use regular sausage but you can use Italian sausage
Spaghetti noodles
Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
8 oz. ricotta cheese
Parmesan cheese

It's pretty simple, you just make like you would spaghetti... Cook noodles according to package directions, brown the beef and sausage until done... then add the sauce and ricotta to the meat mixture and cook over medium low until bubbly. Serve the sauce over the spaghetti noodles and sprinkle with cheese. 20 minutes cooking time but with all the flavor of lasagna!

For the Garlic Cheese Toast:
French bread slices
Butter, room temp
Garlic powder
Shredded mozzarella
Parmesan
Paprika

Butter the bread slices, sprinkle with garlic powder, top with desired amount of cheeses and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Use it to slop up all that yummy sauce.

Lazy Lasagna

I call this one Lazy Lasagna because a little bit of work goes a long way.  I make this dish 2 or 3 meals at a time, use one, and freeze one to use a few weeks or a month later.  The hardest part about making this is boiling the noodles because it takes the longest. Other than that you can just throw it all together.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of ground beef
• 1 cup + 1/4 cup of shredded Mozzarella
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesean
• 2 teaspoons of Minced Garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon Basil
• 1/2 teaspoon Oregano
• About 24 oz Marinara Sauce (I make my own I will share recipe some day)
• 1 Box of (boil) Lasagna Noodles
• 1 15 ounce containter of Ricotta
• 1/4 teaspoon of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 egg
• Salt and Pepper

Start large pot of water to boil and cook lasagna noodles as directed on package. Combine Ricotta, Mozzarella, Parmesan, and lightly beaten egg.  I usually salt and pepper the cheese mixture a little bit.  Set aside.

Brown ground beef with the minced garlic, oregano, and basil.  When cooked thoroughly drain the grease off.

When pasta is finished cooking, remove it from water and lay out on lightly greased (to prevent pasta from sticking) cookie sheet.  Spread a layer of the cheese mixture on the length of the noodle, sprinkle with ground beef, and put a thin layer of sauce on top.  

Roll up noodle and arrange in baking dish.

If you are eating today, top with additional marinara sauce and cheese.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
If you are freezing, place roll ups in freezer safe dish and cover (I usually freeze in an 8x8 pyrex dish, cover with foil, and place lid on top) or freeze on cookie sheet and put into freezer bag for individual portions.  Thaw baking dish in refrigerator over night, top with additional sauce and cheese and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes (since it is cold from fridge it may take longer).

This recipe was featured in Two Magical Moms March Menu Madness and our Appetizing April Menu.  Check out the menus and try out some of our other YUMMY recipes!