Easy Cheesy Lasagna

This, my friends, is "chicken feet and brussel sprouts!"  Well...that is what we call it at our house.  My kids are professional at asking..."WHAT'S FOR DINNER???"...I mean, who wouldn't be when you ask 40,000x a day??  So one time I just blurted out the most unappetizing thing that I could come up with on such short notice..."chicken feet and brussel sprouts!"  IT STUCK!! 
It is, in reality, delicious, easy, cheesy lasagna!! 
This is the lasagna that my mom has made my whole life...and I have NEVER met anyone that didn't give it rave reviews!


Here's what you need:

2 lbs. hamburger
1 lg. cottage cheese
1 sm. tomato paste
1 sm. tomato sauce
3 c mozzarella
3 c colby-jack
approx. 8 lasagna noodles
AND...

only enough to scatter on top!  And my mother approves this time!!

Start your water to boil.  Make sure to add a little oil and alot of salt!

In the meantime, brown the hamburger with salt/pepper/garlic powder.  Drain off all excess grease.  Add the tomato sauce and the tomato paste.  The "green" in the picture is a little bit of fresh basil that I added, only because I had some on hand.

Mix it all together and let it simmer while the noodles are cooking.

Lasagna noodle can be tricky to cook.  You have to ensure that:                        
A: they don't stick to the bottom of the pan                                                                
B: they don't stick to each other
C: the whole noodle is submerged in the water                                                               
Unlike most pasta I don't quite let the lasagna get "al dente," I take it off of the stove just shy.  It makes the pasta easier to work with and the cooking process will continue while it is in the oven.

OOPS!!!  My sous chef got a little big for her britches!  She decided to try and cut the veggies for the salad with a REAL knife instead of the butter knife she was issued, while I wasn't looking!  No punishment necessary...it was a quick lesson learned (plus it was her birthday)!! 

After mending all wounds...and draining the pasta...add the cottage cheese to the meat mixture. 
At this point I got the privilege of sharing with Ani just exactly what cottage cheese is!!...PRICELESS!! 

*NOTE:  You will notice in these pictures that this is a BIG lasagna...I doubled the recipe because, as I mentioned before, it was Ani's birthday and we were having quite a bit of company. 
Any who...in a 9x13 casserole pan, lay out your lasagna to cover (as best you can) the bottom of a pan.

Spread half of the meat on top. 

Add half of the mozzarella.

And half of the colby-jack...this is getting good!!

Repeat!

Until you get THIS!! 
Now I obviously forgot to photograph the addition of the velveeta, but you can see it on there!  I grated it directly on top!  I didn't add a ton...maybe 3/4 c.  It doesn't seem like it should make much difference, but it does, it does, it really really does!!

LOOK...it's like the land of CHEESE!!!  I love cheese!  

 Let's look closer!  Oh that is just beautiful!!  Ok...snap out of it!  Put this baby in the oven so we can eat already!!  350* for 30-40min or until bubbly in the center!! 

It tastes every bit as good as it looks!!  Crusty bread with butter is the perfect accompaniment!!