Post game day yumminess

I love game days. Not only because its just fun, but because I love cooking for people and actually getting feedback (though I do have a strict rule with the kids- No Criticism allowed. But only because they usually start up with that before they actually try it...).

I've had several people tell me that lasagna is a great way to feed a crowd. I've tried making it on occasion and it has always intimidated me a little. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com: World's Best Lasagna and modified it a little. I doubled the recipe so I had a pan for game night and also one to freeze.

Ingredients:

1 ib sweet Italian Sausage
3/4 ib lean ground beef
1/2 medium white onion, minced
a ton of garlic, crushed
1 28oz can of petite diced tomatoes
1 6 oz can of tomato paste
2 6.5 cans of tomato sauce
1 cups of finely chopped assorted veggies (optional. I used red and green peppers, and broccoli. I wish my zucchini was ready because that would have been yummy)
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 t Italian seasoning
1 1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
a handful of dried parsley flakes
12 lasagna noodles
16 oz cottage cheese
1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
1 egg
dash of salt
3/4 ib of sliced mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

* original recipe calls for 1/2 t fennel seeds- I was out so I omitted this

Directions:

1. Brown meats, drain most of the fat. Add to a 6 qt crockpot along with the onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, chopped veggies, Italian seasoning, basil, salt, and pepper. Cook on low all day (the cooking is really optional, but if I had leftover sauce, I wanted to save it for eggplant Parmesan later in the week).
2. When your sauce is about done, throw the noodles in a bowl with hot water. Let them sit for about a half hour.
3. Combine cottage cheese, egg, 1 T parsley, 1/2 t salt, and nutmeg.
4. Assembly: 1 1/2 cups of sauce onto the bottom of a 8x13 baking dish. Then a layer of noodles (I used five, but I am no expert). Spoon half of the cottage cheese mixture onto the noodles, then top with mozzarella cheese, then sauce, then 1/4 c Parmesan cheese. Repeat and top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil.
5. I let mine sit overnight to let the flavors marry. This is optional, but I think important.
6. Cook at 375 for 25 minutes with the foil, and another 25 without it. Let it cool for 15 minutes before serving.

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This got great reviews from everyone, including those who were not so fond of vegetables normally. I thought it was a great way to "hide" them from the kids, who were apprehensive at first, but cleaned their plates (with the exception of the youngest). In fact, everyone did. Definately something I'll make again.