Whiteley Creek Homestead

My friend Deb's birthday is four days before mine, so we get together to celebrate each year. Our busy schedules prevented us from connecting at the end of September on our actual birthdates, so we had lunch at my house yesterday. I prepared vegetarian taco salad and Deb brought the tiniest, most adorable, yummy chocolate cake. I found a birthday candle in the top shelf of a kitchen cabinet to light for the occasion. I chose an orange one because it looked like fall and the approaching Halloween holiday… and squiggly because it looked like fun. 

After serving breakfast to my B&B guests and thoroughly enjoying Deb's company as we chatted over lunch, I prepared dinner for my brother Greg and his wife Jerrie visiting from Washington State, my sister-in-law Lucy from Elk River, Minnesota, and my brother Cliff who lives in Brainerd. Lasagna prepared in advance and placed in the fridge is a life-saver on a busy day. I got the recipe from Lucy many years ago. It goes together quickly and is always a hit. 

Lucy’s Lasagna Serves 15

1 lb hamburger

1 envelope spaghetti sauce mix

8 oz. package lasagna noodles (enough for two layers)

1 package colby cheese

1 package mozzarella cheese

16 oz. cottage cheese

Brown hamburger. Prepare spaghetti sauce mix according to package directions. Boil lasagna noodles. Grate and mix together colby and mozzarella cheese (or purchase preshredded). Place one layer of lasagna noodles in bottom of 9×12 baking dish, overlapping them. Spread ½ browned hamburger over top, then ½ carton cottage cheese, next ½ of the spaghetti sauce, and finally ½ of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers. Cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake at 375 degrees about 30 minutes (or assemble early and refrigerate and bake for 45 minutes). Let sit 10 minutes before cutting and serving.