"Take it easy" Lasagna Casserole

Traditional lasagna was on the menu tonight until a flu bug hit me last night. I was way too achy today to stand in the kitchen assembling the real thing. This casserole is much faster and easier to put together and although it will never replace the real thing, everyone was ok with eating it.

Lasagna Casserole
1 lb. wide egg noodles, cooked al dente
1/2 hamburger
1/2 hot sausage
1 medium onion, chopped fine
Your favorite spaghetti sauce - I used
about 4 cups
4 - 8 oz Ricotta cheese
1 1/2 -2 C. shredded Mozzarella cheese
Italian seasonings
garlic powder
red pepper flakes

Brown hamburger, hot sausage and onion together. Drain of any grease and set aside.

Cook noodles and drain well. Pour hot noodles into a 9x13 dish.

Stir in meat mixture and 4-8 oz Ricotta cheese -- amt. depends on what you like. I used 8 oz. Sprinkle seasonings, as desired, over the top. Add a little red pepper flakes if you want to spice it up a bit --depending on how hot your hot sausage really is.


Stir in sauce and mix well. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese over top of the sauce, and then stir it into the mixture. Sprinkle on the rest of the cheese to top things off.

Cover with foil. Bake at 350* for 40 minutes. Remove foil and slip the dish under the broiler to brown the cheese.


Enjoy!