Beef & Cheese Bake

BEEF & CHEESE BAKE

1 ½ lbs. ground beef
1 (8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 to 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. basil, divided
3 tsp. Italian seasoning, divided
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. ground black pepper
12 oz. cottage cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
8 to 16 oz. pasta (we like rotini; amount depends on how many you're feeding)
¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350º. Cook pasta until slightly tender. Brown ground beef. Sprinkle with sugar, salt, 1 tsp. basil, 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground black pepper; stir to mix seasonings well with beef. Pour in tomato sauces and Worcestershire sauce. Let simmer. Meanwhile, combine cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, remaining 1 tsp. basil, and remaining 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning. Spray 9x13 pan. Spread half of pasta on the bottom of pan. Spoon half of the beef mixture over pasta. Cover with cheese mixture. Finish layering with remaining pasta and beef mixture. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese (and, I sprinkle a little bit of Italian seasoning atop the parm). Bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until bubbly hot. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Rivka's Cinnamon Rolls

RIVKA'S CINNAMON ROLLS
2 cups milk
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 Tbsp salt
2 eggs
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. yeast
½ cup butter, softened
½ - 3/4 cup brown sugar (the darker the better)
2 - 3 tsp. cinnamon

Combine milk, 1/2 cup butter, and sugar; warm in microwave until butter is softened and parly melted. If it gets too hot it can kill the yeast when you add it, so you may have to let it cool a bit. Add salt, eggs, flour, and yeast. Mix together until ingredients are well combined. Do NOT knead this dough for any length of time. The dough will be sticky. Spray the top of the dough with cooking spray and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the dough in a warm area and let rise for one hour, or until it doubles in size. Meanwhile, prepare cinnamon filling: Mix together softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. When dough is double, punch down the dough and place it onto a well-floured surface. Flour the top of the dough and roll into a rectangle about ¼ to ½-inch thick. Spread with cinnamon filling. Get it all the way out to the edges. Starting at one long side, roll the dough into a log shape. Cut into fifteen rolls. Place rolls cut side down in a greased 9x13 baking dish (three across, five down). Let the rolls rise in the pan for another hour (or skip this step as Rivka does, which is what I did). Bake at 325º for 20-25 minutes, until the tops or the middle rolls are beginning to turn golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before glazing (or frosting in my case; recipes below).

Rivka's Glaze:
2 c. powdered sugar¼ - ½ c. milk½ tsp. vanilla (or almond/lemon/maple extract)

Or, my preference:

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 (3 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
1½ cups powdered sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
dash of salt

Beat together all ingredients. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.