Lasagna!

A freezer meal staple, to be sure. If you've never made it before - well, honestly, with those no-boil noodles they have now, you really have no excuse! Here's my recipe:

Sauce:
2 15 oz. cans stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. oregano
1 tbsp basil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp red wine

Puree the canned tomatoes in a blender, pour into saucepan, add the rest of the ingredients, and simmer for 10 minutes. Yes - you really need this much sauce with no-boil noodles!

Cheese Filling: (mix together the following)
2 eggs, beaten
15 oz. ricotta cheese
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated romano cheese
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Additional ingredients:
1 pound of cooked ground beef or sausage
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1 box no-boil lasagna noodles, we prefer Barilla

Lightly spray a 9x13x2" pan with cooking spray.
Place 1/4 of the sauce in the bottom of pan
layer 4 no-boil lasagna noodles slightly overlapping (they will expand while cooking to cover the pan, trust me!)
Spoon on 1/2 the cheese filling
Sprinkle on 1/2 pound cooked ground beef or sausage
Place another 1/4 of the sauce on top
Layer 4 more noodles
Spoon on remaining cheese filling
Sprinkle on 1/2 pound cooked ground beef or sausage
Place another 1/4 of the sauce on top
Layer 4 more noodles
Place remaining sauce on top of noodles
Sprinkle 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

At this point, you can cool the lasagna, cover it tightly, and freeze it for reheating later. Gladware makes wonderful casserole containers with lids that work wonders - you can bake the lasagna right in them, then freeze it, then reheat it - all in the same pan.

Really, you have no excuse for not making lasagna. Everyone loves it. Use your own recipe - it'll freeze just as well!

Hint - if you use traditional noodles that you boil first - you can assemble the lasagna and then freeze it BEFORE baking, ensuring a much fresher meal later on. I've done both - it's your preference, really. Lasagna also works great for a meal ministry item.