Easy Homemade Lasagna
This Easy Homemade Lasagna features layers of tender noodles, savory beef, spaghetti sauce, and lots of cheese. Made with cottage cheese instead of ricotta, it’s higher in protein than your standard recipe but every bit as delicious!
The Best Easy Homemade Lasagna Recipe
This lasagna recipe is a twist on one my mother-in-law handed down to me years ago. In fact, I practically begged her for the recipe, claiming she had to teach me how to make it if Ryan, my now husband, ever proposed.
Lucky for me, he did, and I was in the kitchen right away! You see, Jolonda, never wrote down a recipe for this dish. Instead, she claimed she just adds “a little of this and a little of that.” However, her recipe tastes the exact same every. single. time.
It’s a HUGE family favorite, and even my mom has been known to make it for holidays instead of your standard turkey or ham. It’s seriously that good!
I did put a slight twist on her classic lasagna recipe, swapping the ricotta for cottage cheese, but trust me. You won’t notice, and it adds tons of protein. I also use no-boil lasagna to keep things quick and easy. As a result, this recipe takes a fraction of the time but is every bit as hearty, comforting, and delicious!
Ingredients
Below is an overview of the ingredients and instructions for this recipe. Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!
- Ground Beef – We typically use a very lean ground beef, but ground turkey, ground chicken, ground bison, or even venison will work.
- Spaghetti Sauce – Use any homemade or store-bought spaghetti sauce you like best! Or, marinara sauce will also work.
- Onion – This adds savory flavor to the meat mixture.
- Spices – Garlic powder and black pepper are all you need! Feel free to add Italian seasoning, too, if you want even more flavor.
- Mozzarella Cheese – For the best taste and texture, buy a block of mozzarella and grate it yourself.
- Cottage Cheese – We love that using cottage cheese cuts down on some of the fat and adds even more protein! However, if preferred, whole milk ricotta will also work.
- Eggs – These act as a binder, holding the dish together. Without them, your lasagna will fall apart!
- No-Boil Lasagna Noodles – These make this dish super easy, cutting down tons of prep time. However, you can use regular lasagna noodles if preferred. Just make sure to boil and drain them before you begin, or they’ll stay crunchy.
Kitchen Tools
How to Make This Easy Lasagna Recipe with Cottage Cheese
- Brown the beef. Heat a large stovetop pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef, diced onion, and garlic powder, and cook, breaking the beef into pieces until it’s no longer pink.
Note: We use a really lean ground meat, meaning we don’t need to drain any fat. However, if you use a fattier protein, you may want to drain some of the excess fat. It’s up to you! Either way, your lasagna will still taste amazing.
- Combine the cheese filling. Mix part of the mozzarella, cottage cheese, eggs, and black pepper in a bowl until well combined.
- Assemble the lasagna. Spread a bit of the meat mixture over the bottom of a greased baking pan or casserole dish. Then, add a layer of noodles, overlapping them slightly. Cover the noodles with half of the cheese mixture followed by half of the remaining meat mixture. Repeat, adding more noodles, cheese, and meat. Sprinkle your lasagna with the reserved mozzarella.
- Cover. Stick six toothpicks into the top of the lasagna (placing one near each corner and two in the center). Then, carefully place a piece of aluminum foil over the toothpicks, and wrap it around the edges of the pan.
- Bake. Transfer the baking dish to a preheated oven, and bake for one hour covered. Then, remove the foil and toothpicks, and continue to bake until the cheese is melted and the edges are golden brown.
- Cool. Allow the dish to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. We know it’s hard to wait, but this allows it to solidify a bit so that it holds its shape!
Can I Make This Recipe Ahead of Time?
Yes! This recipe is great to prepare in advance and just pop in the oven when you’re ready to eat. To do so:
- Follow the recipe steps to assemble the dish, but do not bake.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and transfer it to the fridge for up to 2 days. Or, freeze for up to 2 months.
- Thaw frozen lasagna in the freezer overnight. Then, bring the dish to room temperature.
- Bake as normal, adding a few extra minutes as needed. Enjoy!
How to Store and Freeze Easy Homemade Lasagna
- Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze your lasagna for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight when you’re ready to serve.
- Reheat in a covered baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes or until warmed through.
More Comfort Food Recipes
Easy Homemade Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
- 2 lbs shredded mozzarella cheese, reserve 2 cups for topping
- 22 ounces cottage cheese
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 9 ounce box oven ready/no boil lasagna noodles (see notes)
Instructions
- Heat a large stove top pan on med-high heat. Brown ground beef with diced onion and garlic powder. (We use really lean ground meat and do not need to drain any of the fat, but use your discretion. Drain or don’t drain, your lasagna will still be amazing!) Stir in the spaghetti sauce and set aside.2 lbs ground beef, 1 onion, diced, 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 24 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
- In a large bowl, mix the mozzarella cheese (save 2 cups to top the lasagna), cottage cheese, eggs, and black pepper until combined.2 lbs shredded mozzarella cheese,, 22 ounces cottage cheese, 2 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350F and spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Time to assemble the lasagna:1. Spread a little meat mixture on the bottom of the pan, just enough to lightly cover it.2. Add a layer of noodles, overlap them slightly.3. Cover the noodles with half the cheese mixture.4. Now cover the cheese mixture with 1/2 the meat mixture, now noodles (overlapping slightly), the remainder of the cheese mixture, and the remainder of the meat mixture.9 ounce box oven ready/no boil lasagna noodles
- Top the lasagna with the two cups of reserved shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Stick 6 toothpicks (see notes) in the top of the lasagna (one near each corner) and 2 in the center area. Then carefully place a piece of aluminum foil over the toothpicks and wrap the foil around the edge of the pan.
- Bake the lasagna for 1 hour, covered. Then remove the aluminum foil and toothpicks and bake uncovered for 15 minutes or until all the cheese is melted in the middle and edges are browned.
- Allow the lasagna to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. This helps the lasagna to hold together better when plating. Enjoy!
Our family’s favorite lasagna – hands down!!
Do use a 9 x 13 or 8 x 10 oven pan? The recipe mentions both sizes. Thanks!
Oh my gosh! Thank you for catching that. I don’t even have an 8×10 pan! No idea why I wrote that. Yes, use a 9×13 pan! Enjoy this lasagna. 🙂
Would you recommend preparing ahead of time and freezing it?
Hi Kristin! You absolutely can. Allow the lasagna to defrost in your fridge for a day or two before baking. 🙂 Happy eating!
Can u just use one pound of hamburger for this recipe & if so would the measurements still be the same for garlic powder, number of eggs, cottage cheese, & pepper?
I would keep all other measurements the same if you are using only 1 lb of ground beef. Happy eating!
Can I make this ahead of time and keep in refrigerator before baking?
Yes! My mother in law does this. I would try to take it out about an hour before baking to take the chill out of it, but if you don’t have time that okay. You may have to bake it covered a little longer if it is going into the oven cold. Maybe 15-30 minutes longer. 🙂
Hi Sammi,
I am trying to print your recipe and it wants to print everything, including 7 pages, instead of just the recipe. I am using your link. Any idea what to do? Thank you!
Hi Melissa,
I am sorry you are having trouble. 🙁 I just tried it myself and it only printed the recipe portion (1 page, front and back). Did you click the grey print button at the top of the recipe? Happy eating!
Do you need the cottage cheese or can it be made without it ??
I have never made this without the cottage cheese or a substitute like ricotta cheese. But who knows, maybe it will be great without it!
I may be missing it but what temp? I am assuming 350. That is what I usually do.
Hi Lisa! Yes, 350 degrees. I hope you enjoy it!
Question ….if I’m out of foilhow long should I cook it uncoversd
Hi Kimberly! That’s a great question…I have never baked it without foil. Here are some options: “If you need to cover something in the oven you can use a baking sheet, metal lid, parchment paper, silicone lid, or a silicone mat instead of aluminum foil. Dutch ovens with lids, stoneware, CorningWare, and enamelware are all baking and storage solutions with lids.” Source: https://natashalh.com/best-aluminum-foil-alternatives/ Happy cooking! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. 🙂
If I were to use ricotta how much should I use?
Hi Kaylie! I use a 1-1 substitution if you use ricotta rather than cottage cheese or use a combination of both. Happy cooking!
Thank you for your reply! I have another question, is this something you can make ahead and put in the fridge until you’re ready to bake? I have a 2 month old and I wanted to prep it while he’s napping and then bake it closer to dinner time.
I made this recipe but used 2 jars of spaghetti sauce and 2 lbs of turkey burger. Also used ricotta instead of cottage cheese. It was really good and so simple to make.
That’s fantastic! I love the substitutions you made and the extra spaghetti sauce. Well done! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. 🙂 Happy Eating!
Hi, I’m trying this recipe today. I want to print the recipe but the link is not working. I tried several times and didn’t have success.
Oh no! I’m so sorry it did not work properly. I really appreciate you telling me. Okay, so I tried it myself and you are right it did not work the first time. My print out was basically blank. However, I tried it again and it worked perfectly. Silly technology. Ha! I sure hope it works when you try it now. Let me know and again I am so sorry! I really hope you enjoy the recipe.
If I boil my noodles before do I still cook for 1 hour?
Hi Alicia! Yes, you still bake the lasagna for 1 hour whether you use no-boil noodles or boiled noodles. Enjoy!
Are the noodles cooked first
Hi Skylar, if you are using regular lasagna noodles, yes please boil and drain them first before assembling your lasagna. If you are using no-boil/oven ready noodles then place the “hard” uncooked noodles into the casserole. Enjoy this delicious recipe and thank you for your question!
Do you drain your beef or do you need the extra liquid to soften the noodles?
Hi Brooke! I typically do not drain my beef as it is very lean. However, it is completely up to you. The noodles should soften well whether you drain the browned meat or not. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi there, what kind of spaghetti sauce do you recommend?
Hi Tanya! A couple months ago I would have told you any jarred pasta sauce will do, but now I am hooked on Bertolli pasta sauces. They have the greatest flavor. I use their traditional marinara and love it! With that said, your lasagna will turn out absolutely delicious no matter what sauce you use. Happy eating and thank you so much for trying this recipe. 🙂
What kind of cottage cheese? I’ve always used ricotta. Small curd, large curd, non fat, low fat?
Hi Becky, thanks for the question. I use 2% or 4% small curd typically. I like the flavor and texture of ricotta too, but my family prefers cottage cheese. 😉