Simply Traditional Lasagna

I am on the search for an awesome lasagna recipe. I made this one this past Sunday. It turned out really well & was super easy to make. Had a little crowd for the Steeler game & it was basically all gone. I would make this again for sure. I'll write as I found it on www.allrecipes.com but note the moderations that I made.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. bulk italian sausage (I used 1/2 sweet, 1/2 hot)
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup sliced olives (I omitted b/c we really don't like olives)
1 pinch basil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. dried sage (I didn't have)
2 tsp. ground black pepper
2 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP dried onion flakes
2 (14 oz) jars marinara (I used double this amount)
1 16 oz. lasagna (used the ones that say you don't have to boil)
8 oz. ricotta cheese ( doubled)
1 lb. shredded mozzarella
(I added some spinach into the ricotta)

Brown the beef & sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drain excess grease. Stir in the water and black olives, and season with basil, garlic powder, oregano, sage, pepper, minced garlic & onion flakes. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the marinara sauce & remove from heat (I used 28 oz).

Preheat oven to 375.

Place a layer of meat & sauce in the bottom of a 9X13 inch baking dish. Cover with a layer of dry noodles. Spread a layer of ricotta cheese over the noodles, sprinkle with mozzarella. Cover with a layer of meat - I added a layer of sauce. Repeat - ending with a layer of meat & sauce on top. Reserve 1/2 cup of mozzarella for later.

Bake for 45 minutes in preheated oven but check after 30 minutes depending on how thick lasagna is. Lasagna is cooked when you can easily stick a knife into it. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, return to the oven for about 10 minutes to melt.

I let cool about 15 minutes before serving.
Another little tip - I put the 9X13 pan on a cookie sheet so it wouldn't bubble over into the oven.

Again - yummy!