FOOLPROOF LASAGNA THAT EVERYONE LIKES-Miriam (Wiederkehr) Tropper

Hi! Since I'm the granny of this group, I'll be the one who sends in the recipes that take about 5 minutes and come out really good, or the "how to hide your leftovers" recipes.

Foolproof lasagna that everyone really likes (this started out as my mother's recipe but kind of morphed over the past decade or so)

1 box quick cook lasagna (1 pound)

2 15 oz. cans tomato sauce

1 lb. farmer cheese

8 oz. cottage cheese

1 egg (optional, but it does make it creamier)

at least 8 and up to 16 oz shredded mozarella, or sliced mozarella, depending how cheesy you like it--less will make it less heavy.

assorted spices: I use black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder ,basil and oregano

Directions:

in a 9x13 pan, pour about 1/4 can tomato sauce (enough to cover the bottom of the pan).

In a large bowl, combine the farmer cheese, egg (if using), cottage cheese. Mix. Add most of the tomato sauce (leave about 1/3 can for the top of the lasagna). Add spices to taste. I do like this: lots of garlic powder (probably 1 1/2 tablespoons) , then about 2 teaspoons of onion powder, 1 each basil and oregano, and a little black pepper. If you like it sweet, you'll want to add some sugar here. My measurements are approximations b/c I really just sprinkle everything on top of the tomato sauce, some more, some less. Mix it all together. Add the shredded cheese and mix once more. Now layer pasta-sauce mixture-repeat but leave the last layer empty. Top it with the 1/3 can tomato sauce, and some shredded cheese. Pour 2 cans of water around the edges, seal and bake at least 1 1/2 hours. (Sometimes it takes 2) If it seems ready but looks a little watery, uncover and bake 10-15 min. If this is an oven-to-table dish you may want to add a little extra cheese during those 15 min. for aesthetics.

Enjoy!