1/2 pound Italian sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce with onion and green chile peppers
3 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (16 ounce) package cottage cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the sausage for about 5 minutes, or until browned. Drain off grease as you will be using it later.
Add the tomato sauce and onion and pepper to the skillet and saute for about 5 minutes, or until the tomato sauce is thickened.
Stir the oregano, basil, rosemary, lemon zest and pepper into the sausage. Mix well, and cook 2 minutes more.
Form the cheese into a ball and place in the center of each muffin. Fill muffins with cream cheese mixture. I used a metal spoon to make sure each muffin is totally covered.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and filling is golden brown.