Monday's value meal...

This is the time of year when folks start eating a little earlier to beat the sun set and making heartier dishes.  One of my favorites is Lasagna, this one is easier than most to put together and it fills the house with that great smell.

WORLDS BEST LASAGNA

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
3/4 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
12 lasagna noodles
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1.In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook lasagna noodles in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

3.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

4.To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange 6 noodles lengthwise over meat sauce. Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

5.Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

---Main course---
 
$0.35 off any Domino sugar item
$1.00 off McCormick Gourmet Spices (coupon good only at Meijer grocers unless you have a store that will match coupons)
$1.00 off two boxes of Creamette Ronzoni Healthy Harvest pasta
$1.00 off any Organic Valley Cheese Product
$0.50 off one Kraft Parmesan Cheese (at Target stores only, I found the coupon on page 5)
 
---Beverage---
 
Sparkling juice drink, just mix your favorite juice with some sparkling water.
 
$0.75 off one 32 oz Santa Cruz Organic Juice
 
---Salad---
 
$1.00 off Olivia's Organic Salads
$0.75 off select Wish Bone Dressing (Coupon good only at Target stores)
 
---Bread---
 
$0.40 off two Pillsbury Italian Meal Breads (Near the bottom of the page)
 
---Dessert---
 
Cut up some of your left over fun size candy bars into coffee flavored ice cream for a super treat.
 
$0.75 off Starbucks ice cream
 
I hope everyone is having a great start to the week!
 
C.Q.