Lazy Lasagna

Does anyone else wish this dang snow would go away already? On the other hand, my husband loves it because he can get me to make warm, bubbly casseroles like this one because somehow in my mind it still feels like winter and therefore there's no need to be swimsuit-ready anytime soon.  This is not quite as easy as the Crockpot Lasagna recipe, but I like how this can be divided into two pans so one can be frozen for another day.

1 1/2 boxes lasagna sheets
2 jars spaghetti sauce (I like Classico or Barilla, but it's up to you)
1 large container cottage cheese
1 large container ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
2 eggs
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup onion, diced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 pound ground beef (optional)
 1 tsp. olive oil (optional)
1 tsp. red pepper flakes(optional)

Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly spray either two 8x8 pans or one 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  Saute onions, garlic, and red pepper flakes until beginning to soften, then add in ground beef (if using).  When onions and garlic are translucent, and meat is browned, add spaghetti sauce and heat through.*  

In a mixing bowl, mix cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan, eggs, and Italian seasoning.

Ladle about 1/4 cup of sauce into sprayed baking pan(s).  Cover with uncooked lasagna noodles**, breaking into pieces to fill in all gaps.  Spoon 1/3 of ricotta mixture over noodles, covering well.  Ladle 1/3 of spaghetti sauce over cheese mixture, spreading to cover.  Cover with uncooked lasagna noodles, pressing down lightly to compact layers.  Repeat layering with remaining ricotta, sauce, and noodles.  In an 8x8 pan, I can fit about 4 noodles (broken to fit) per layer, and 4 layers of noodles in total.  Cover last layer of noodles with any remaining sauce and ricotta mixture.  Cover with foil and bake 1 hour.  Then remove foil and sprinkle 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan over the top. Broil 3-5 minutes (watch closely) until browned and bubbly.  Serve with a green salad.

*I feel better about using store-bought spaghetti sauce if it's a good quality brand, doesn't have too much sugar, and I doctor it up with onions, garlic, and spices.  But to make this even simpler, you could skip the ground beef and onion mixture altogether, and just ladle the sauce into the pans right from the jar.

**You can buy either no-boil noodles, or just use regular lasagna noodles.  I've found that as long as each noodle ends up covered with plenty of sauce to give it moisture, and as long as you bake for at least 1 hour, it all works out fine.  Plus, it's easier and less messy to skip boiling the noodles!