Not Your Usual Lasagna

I LOVE food!! Real shocker there, right? I don't really have a favorite type of food. I like a little from most categories. However, Italian would come very close if I had a favorite. I mean, who can go wrong with cheese? And pasta. One of my favorite Italian foods is lasagna...but I REALLY don't like ricotta cheese. I don't know what it is about it that I don't like. Maybe the texture...I don't know but I can't stand the stuff. I came across this recipe in Taste of Home magazine many years ago, by accident. I like to rip out pages from magazines that have recipes on them and that is how I ended up with this. However, it was on the backside of the recipe that I was really after.  I tried the recipe that looked so goo d in the magazine and really didn't care for it. I shoved the recipe into my REALLY BIG STACK of ripped out magazine pages and forgot about it. My son was going through them one day and pulled out this recipe and asked me to make it. I didn't really think I would like it but, honestly, I cannot resist this kid. So I made it. O.M.G.!!!!It has become a real family favorite. Even people who say they don't like lasagna, like this. So, without further adeux, behold....the recipe....Okay, so I changed it around a bit because it called for swiss cheese. SWISS CHEESE in lasagna! Umm, no, not happening.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 Lbs. Ground Beef
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 -15 oz Cans Tomato Sauce
1 -14 1/2 oz Can Diced Tomatoes (Fire Roasted are lovely in this recipe)
1 6 oz Can Tomato Paste
2 Tsp. Oregano
1 Tsp. Basil
1/2 Tsp. Sugar
1/2 Tsp. Salt
A couple shakes of Pepper
9 No Cook Lasagna Noodles (Greatest invention EVER!!!)
12 Oz. Cream Cheese, softened
4 C. Shredded Mozzarella, divided
1/2 C. Grated Parmesan, divided

Brown meat, onion and garlic. Drain if necessary. Add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir well. Add in the oregano, basil, sugar (I leave this out), salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and put about a cup of sauce in the bottom. Spread it all around. This will keep the noodles from sticking to it. Take out your noodles and divide 1/3 of the cream cheese among 3 noodles. Lay them in the pan. Sprinkle 1/3 of the parmesan and 1/3 of the mozzarella over the noodles.

Pour 1/3 of the sauce over the noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times but do not put the last 1/3 of the mozzarella on the noodles. Hold this cheese until the final moments of baking. Cover the noodles with the remaining 1/3 of the sauce and cover pan with foil.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle remaining cheese over sauce. Put back in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese is all melty.

Yeah, baby. Dat's what I'm talkin' 'bout....
There are a lot of ways you can change up the lasagna to suit your family. Sub part of the onions for peppers and mushrooms. Add some sauteed spinach to the cream cheese mixture (A great way to hide it from the kids!). Change up the cheeses. Anything you want!

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