Recipe: Simply Lasagna

 I can't take any credit for it, since it's from the Kraft foods site, but I wanted to share since I've been making it for years and it's so delicious!  You can get quite a few servings out of it (we easily get 2 dinners) and freezes well. 

image courtesy of kraft.com

Simply Lasagna

1 lb.  ground beef***

2-1/2 cups  Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1container  (15 oz.) Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

1/2 cup  Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

1/4 cup  chopped fresh parsley

1 egg, beaten

1 jar  (24 oz.) spaghetti sauce

1 cup  water

12 lasagna noodles (oven ready), uncooked

 

***The past few times I've made this, I substituted spinach for the ground beef and it was just as good, if not better! Use 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach for the browned ground beef. Thaw spinach; squeeze out excess liquid. Prepare as directed, covering each ricotta layer with 1/3 of the spinach.

• HEAT oven to 350°F.

• BROWN meat in large skillet on medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix 1-1/4 cups mozzarella, ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, parsley and egg until blended.

• DRAIN meat; return to skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Add 1 cup water to empty sauce jar; cover with lid and shake well. Add to meat mixture; stir until blended. Spread 1 cup meat sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish; top with layers of 3 lasagna noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 cup meat sauce. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining noodles, meat sauce and cheeses. Cover with foil sprayed with cooking spray.

• BAKE 1 hour or until heated through, removing foil after 45 min. Let stand 15 min. before cutting to serve.