Baked Ziti Casserole

16 oz penne rigate or ziti noodles

1 lb ground beef (or 1/2 lb Italian sausage & 1/2 lb ground beef)

1/4 onion, diced (or onion seasoning)

Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic salt, cumin, Italian seasoning, taco or chili seasoning

16 oz cottage cheese

1 egg

1 Tbsp Italian seasoning

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)

48 oz spaghetti sauce

Instructions:

• If you are baking the casserole immediately, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook them until they are a little less than "al    dente". When cooked, drain and cool.
• While the noodles are cooking, brown the meat and onion over medium heat in a skillet. Season with seasonings. When cooked, drain excess grease and cool.
• In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese.
• Combine the spaghetti sauce with the cooled meat and set aside 1/3 of the mixture.
• Combine the rest of the sauce mixture with the cheese mixture and the noodles.
• Grease a 9x13 pan and pour the noodle mixture into the pan. Spread the rest of the sauce over the noodles then sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top. Try to cover all of the noodles with sauce and cheese so they won't dry out.
• Cover and bake immediately or refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

•  If baking immediately: Bake at 375, covered for 15 minutes then uncovered for another 10-15 minutes.
• Refrigerating: This dish can be assembled and refrigerated, covered tightly, for up to 2 days in advance. To bake, place the pan in a cold oven, then heat to 375. Keep covered for 25 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
• Freezing: This dish can be assembled and frozen, covered tightly in foil, for up to 2 months. Bake it straight from the freezer. Place it in a cold oven, then heat to 375. Keep covered for 1 hour, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

*Before covering with foil, spray the foil with cooking grease so the noodles don't stick to the cover when you remove it.