Taste of Home Tuesday: Cream Cheese and Swiss Lasagna

Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (15 ounces each) Hunt’s® Tomato Sauce
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) Italian diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
9 no-cook lasagna noodles
12 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

Directions
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the beef, sausage, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes.

Spread 1 cup sauce in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with three noodles. Drop a third of the cream cheese by teaspoonfuls over the top. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 2/3 cup each of Parmesan and Swiss; spoon a third of the remaining sauce over the top. Repeat layers of noodles, cheeses and sauce twice (dish will be full). Place dish on a baking sheet.

Cover and bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Yield: 12 servings.

I did not realize that the meat sauce was supposed to simmer for 30 minutes and I did not have enough time so I mixed it up and started layering the lasagna. I thought it tasted just fine, however, it probably would have been even better if I had let all the flavors cook together. The cream cheese makes this dish rich, but it is very good!