Calabrese Lasagna

as adapted from the cookbook "Eating Forward" by Sandi Richard

(found this cookbook for 40% off at Safeway just before Christmas)

Sauce for 3 dinners:
1 tsp EVOO
1 onion
2 tsp fresh garlic from a jar
1/4 green bell pepper
450g ground beef
10 mushrooms
2 cans tomato pasta sauce (680ml each)

1 loaf Calabrese bread (we used French)

2 cups sauce per side, each layer has 1 cup (4 cups total for both sides)
1 cup 1% cottage cheese per side, each layer has 1/2 cup (2 cups total)
1/4 cup parm cheese/light grated per side, each layer is 2T (1/2 cup total)
1 cup mozza/part skim/shredded per side, each layer has 1/2 cup (2 cups total)

Preheat oven to 425F.  Heat oil in large pot. Finely chop onion, adding to pot as you cut. Add garlic and stir. Finely chop green pepper and add to pot. Add ground beef stirring occasionally until meat is no longer pink. Wash and slice mushrooms, add to pot as you cut. Add sauce and stir.  Cook until heated through. Remove from heat.

Set aside 3 cups of sauce to use with another recipe - freezes well.

Slice bread lengthwise, remove most of the white bread from the center of each side with your fingers. Smear sauce on the bottom of each side, then cottage cheese.  Sprinkle on parm and mozza cheese. Repeat layering.  Place one side on a cookie sheett. Bake cheese side up for 15 minutes.  Slice into thick slices and serve with salad.

Wrap the other side in foil then plastic wrap and freeze for dinner at another time.

My picture here is not good. I forgot to take one so the picture is of the leftovers... 5 days later. LOL  I'll try to take a better pic when we defrost and eat the other half.

This was really easy to make and everyone loved it.  Even Miss Almost Vegetarian wolfed hers down and asked for more. Mr Picky whined a little about green peppers but still managed to eat his piece.  We will make this one again.