Comfort Lasagna

Lasgna is one of those foods that I thoroughly enjoy and yet never make.  Probably because it makes so much and there's just me!  But one of my students asked me if it was my favorite food and I replied No (because its really not), but it DID get me thinking about how good it sounded.  The recipe I typically use is in my head from my catering days.  Its decent and most people really like it, but I wish there was a little more flavor to it.  Keeping that in mind, here's what I came up with.  I'm calling it Comfort Lasagna because no one ever really eats lasagna with the idea of being healthy and keeping your calories down, even though I used low fat cheeses ;)

Comfort Lasagna

Ingredients:
1 pound sweet Italian sausage (got mine at the Harmon's butcher block)
1 can Western Family Mexican Fiesta Tomatoes diced with Lime and garlic (find those with the rest of the stewed tomatoes)
1 3/4 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
7 pieces Barilla lasagna noodles

Directions:
Boil noodles as direction on package.  (once they're cooked, I usually leave mine sitting in enough cool water to cover them so they don't stick.)

Brown sausage in a frying pan.  Once browned and broken into smaller pieces, add can of tomatoes.  Simmer together for about 15 minutes, leaving lid OFF for last 5 minutes.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine ricotta, cottage cheese, Miracle Whip, Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup Mozzarella.  Set aside remaining Mozzarella.  Stir together well.

In an 8x8 baking dish (I used my PC stoneware... shocking, I know), spread one layer of meat sauce.  On top of that, add a layer of white sauce.  Sprinkle approximate 1/4 cup mozzarella on top of both.  Add a layer of noodles.  Repeat process until all ingredients are used.  I usually get two layers.

Top with remaining Mozzarella.  For some color, I sprinkle it with about 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until warmed through.

Serve it up!  It will be runny if you serve it straight from the oven so I'd let it set for about 5-10 minutes prior to serving.  I couldn't wait that long ;)