This is a recipe I created through experimentation. I knew a woman who always asked me to cook it for her, she said she had tried lasagna from here to Italy and it was the best she had ever tasted. This is a recipe that makes enough for a large family gathering!

1 package of lasagna noodles
1-1 1/2 jars thick spaghetti sauce
1/2 chopped green pepper
1 large chopped onion
1 large container Ricotta or small curd cottage cheese
2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1 large package (3 cups} fancy shredded cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 lb. Italian sausage cooked and chopped
1 lb. ground beef cooked and chopped, then mix meats together
2 cans of mushrooms slices

Sauté onions and peppers in butter or olive oil.

Combine Ricotta or cottage cheese with eggs, Parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper and parsley.

Cook noodles rinse in cold water, drain and separate, set aside, preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large deep non-stick baking pan, layer bottom with spaghetti sauce, about two cups. Next, place a layer of noodles, then sauce until lightly covered, then a thin layer of Rictotta or cottage cheese mixture, meats, onions and peppers, and mushrooms, sprinkle remaining cheeses in layers, one on top another.

When you lay your last layer of noodles, place a thin layer of sauce and (make sure you have saved enough cheeses for the top) over the layer of sauce layer cheeses with the mozzarella on top, bake at 375°F uncovered until the top is golden brown and bubbly.

Submitted by: Cindy Bruce