Hi Stacy,

For the meat layers of my lasagna, I generally use lean ground beef (occasionally mixed with Italian sausage) mixed with a 28 oz jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce. Both are flvorful.

For the cheese layers, I mix equal amounts of cottage cheese and sour cream (low fat varieties work well). I spread that on top of the noodles, then top that with some shredded mozzarella. I personally like the cottage cheese consistency, but ricotta is very flavorful as well. The sour creams adds a nice creaminess to this layer.

I never ever cook the noodles. It is simple enough not to, and the lasagna will turn out great. I generally make a pan ahead of time, add 1/2 cup of water to the lasagna (this helps steam the noodles a bit when it bakes), and refrigerate for a few hours to overnight. Bake covered at 350 for 1 hour, and uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Let sit for 15 minutes before cutting.

Good luck!

Jean