Or-You-Could Lasagna

I think that most people have a lasagna recipe... lasagna is one of those staple meals that is included in most families' menus at least every once in a while.  My lasagna recipe is pretty easy, but for the purposes of this post, I have titled it:

Or-You-Could Lasagna

Since lasagna is so versatile, you can take liberties with the recipe to make it fit your family.  Behold, the Or-You-Could Lasagna.

Brown some ground beef in a skillet... or you could use ground pork... or you could use Italian sausage.

Add 15oz of tomato sauce, a small can of tomato paste and a paste can amount of water... or you could use your favorite marinara or pasta sauce.

Add a palm full of Italian seasoning... or you could use your favorite basil/oregano mixture.  Give it a healthy amount of garlic powder too... or you could use real garlic (be careful though, it can burn).

Stir it all together and cover, letting it simmer for about 20 minutes... or you could simmer it for 30 minutes.

Grab a box of no-boil noodles... or you could boil some regular noodles.

Mix an egg with a cup of cottage cheese... or you could use ricotta.

Put some of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan... or you could use 8x11.  Spoon the sauce in... or you could use a ladle.

Pour a little of the cottage or ricotta cheese mixture on top and stir it all together... or you could leave it.

Sprinkle some shredded mozzerella on top, about a cup... or you could use two.

Put your no-boil noodles on top... or you could use regular noodles.

Keep layering until you get to the top.  You could finish off with cheese... or you could do what I do and finish with the meat sauce/cottage cheese mixture.

Cover this with foil and bake for about 40 minutes at 375... or you could bake it for 45 minutes at 350.

Take it out of the oven and remove the foil.  Add another cup of mozzerella... or you could use two.

Bake for another 5 minutes... or you could bake it for another 10.

Good gracious.

Cut it up and serve it... or you could tell your family that it didn't turn out right, send them out for pizza, and eat it out of the pan with a fork.  Whichever.