Six Cheese Chicken Lasagna

2 cups canned diced Italian tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 medium onion, chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1½ teaspoons sugar
2 bay leaves
1½ pounds ground chicken (3 to 4 chicken breasts, skinned, boned and trimmed of all fat)
9 long strips lasagna noodles
12 ounces cottage cheese
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Gruyère cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Swiss cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) grated extra sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Mozzarella cheese

In a large pan, combine the first 12 ingredients. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered for one hour. Crumble the ground chicken in a skillet. Cook until no pink remains. Add the cooked chicken to the tomato sauce. Simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally. If sauce is too thin, thicken it up at this point by mixing 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 Tablespoons of cold water to a boiling mixture, stirring constantly. Remove bay leaves.

Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Mix cottage cheese, egg and Parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Combine Gruyère cheese, Swiss cheese and Cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Mix well.

Preheat oven to 350º F. To assemble lasagna, spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Layer 1/3 of each: noodles, cottage cheese mixture, cheese mixture and chicken sauce. Repeat layering 2 more times, ending with the chicken sauce. (Note: May be covered and refrigerated at this point. Bake for 40 minutes total if refrigerated.) Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top with mozzarella cheese and continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.