This homemade easy lasagna recipe is comfort food at it’s finest.
A week ago I caught a nasty virus for the second time in a month. My husband came home every night and without a complaint he let me stay in bed resting while he handled the kids, cleaning and even pulled out some of my freezer meals for dinner. He was a real trooper. I was very touched…and grateful for him letting me rest!
While I was in bed I was thinking about when I met my husband and how one night I made my easy Lasagna recipe for him and his roommates. I think this Lasagna might have helped him fall in love with me…yes people it’s that good! 🙂
My Easy Lasagna recipe is my ultimate favorite, and I am one of the pickiest people on the planet (my poor mom). So if you have picky kids they might just eat this one too. Well, maybe.
EASY LASAGNA RECIPE
The first thing you want to do is boil your lasagna noodles till they are al dente. I have tried some of these no-boil noodle recipes and they just don’t work well for me – ever. So we do this the old fashioned way..boil them noodles.
While your noodles are boiling, its time to brown your ground beef. Add the lb. of ground beef, the onion, salt and garlic powder in a large skillet and cook until browned and tender. Drain. Put the ground beef back into the skillet. Add your jar of spaghetti sauce then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
In a separate bowl mix together the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Mix it up well.
When the noodles are done boiling, I just bring the pot over to the sink, pour out as much hot water as I can and let it fill back up with cold water for a while to cool the noodles. I don’t want to burn myself when I am layering, so I make sure the noodles are all cold and sitting in the cold water pot before I begin.
Usually, if I am going to the trouble of making a lasagna, I figure I might as well make 3-4 of them as freezer meals for later. So you can see how it all looks.: I like to get everything out and ready to go. I have my spaghetti sauce, my cottage cheese mix, mozzarella cheese and the noodles all nicely laid on the table with either foil or metal pans.
And then it’s GO TIME. The FUN part. Here is how I layer my Lasagna:
First I always add a layer of sauce to the bottom to prevent the noodles from sticking. So SAUCE first. 🙂
Then carefully take the cooled noodles out and layer them over the sauce.
Add a layer of spaghetti sauce over the noodles.
Then 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese over that spaghetti sauce.
Then I dab or sprinkle some of the cottage cheese mixture over that cheese layer.
Then we start over – another layer of noodles followed by a layer of sauce, then cheese, then cottage mixture.
Repeat again with noodles, sauce, cheese, and cottage. At the end, I like to make sure and top it all with extra mozzarella cheese so it bakes nicely.
And that is it. If using foil pans, this Lasagna can be quite heavy so make sure and put a cookie sheet underneath of it before you bake. You can bake at 350 degrees oven for 40-45 minutes right away thawed. Or if you pull one out of the freezer un-thawed you can cook it at 350 degrees for around 1.5-2 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into it. Enjoy!
Easy Homemade Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 15 oz spaghetti sauce (I use traditional Ragu)
- 1 pint cottage cheese
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp dried parsley
- 10 oz lasagna pasta (cooked to al dente and cooled in cold water)
- 12 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese (about 1 ½ cups)
Instructions
- Combine ground beef, onion, salt and garlic powder. Cook under med-high until browned and tender. Drain and put back into skillet. Add spaghetti sauce and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In a separate bowl combine cottage cheese, parmesan cheese and dried parsley. Mix well.
*Layering Lasagna*
- First add a small amount of spaghetti sauce mix to the bottom of your 9x13 pan.
- Layer a single row of noodles
- Layer 1/3 sauce
- Layer 1/3 Mozzarella Cheese
- Layer 1/3 Cottage cheese mixture (dotting it all over)
- Layer single row of noodles
- Layer 1/3 sauce
- Layer 1/3 Mozzarella Cheese
- Layer 1/3 Cottage cheese mixture (dotting it all over)
- Layer single row of noodles
- Layer 1/3 sauce
- Layer 1/3 Cottage cheese mixture (dotting it all over)
- Layer 1/3 Mozzarella Cheese last so it bakes really nicely
- Cover and bake in 350 degrees oven for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly all over. Let stand 10 minutes. Enjoy!
Can you make this without the cottage cheese? If so do you replace it with anything?
Hey Karrie,
I’m going to make a bunch of these recipes for my best friend who is expecting her second child in a few months! I was wondering what you cover your lasagna pans with before you put them in the freezer?
Hi, plastic wrap first, pressing out the air, then a layer of heavy duty foil. 🙂
Hi Karrie! Do you think it would be ok to substitute the cottage cheese for ricotta or another ingredient for this recipe? Thanks!
Yes, you could do that! I’d use ricotta to substitute. 🙂
This site is amazing. I just made the lasagna and put it in the freezer. But I was wondering, how long Can it stand to be frozen?
Hi! It’s best used within 4-5 months for best flavor but can be frozen longer (just have to take your chances with flavor changes)
Hello,
May I ask if the printable recipe designed for one pan or three? I’m trying to determine if I need to double or not prior to going to the grocery store .
The recipe is for one pan. 🙂
Thank you. I made it today and it was delicious. My five year old ate her entire plate without bargaining!
Super silly question (really a noob to all this – but after finding metal shavings in a processed freezer meal, I am determined to create my own from scratch!) – When I freeze the combined ingredients (prior to cooking) how do I then cook it later? Does it need to thaw first? If not – when I cook the frozen meal do I use the same temp to cook it and for how long?
Thank you!!
Hi Holly! So for the very best results thawing first overnight in the fridge and baking will usually give you the best results. But if you are like me, and you are super busy and didn’t remember to thaw it, you can just toss it in the oven with foil on the top. And just take off the foil for the last 15-20 minutes to melt that cheese and make it look good. It will take quite a bit longer to cook this way and will still taste wonderful. Usually it can take 1-1/2 hours to 2 hours to bake from frozen depending how cold your freezer is.
Just ordered a copy of your cookbook – So impressed with your site, realistic and manageable recipes, and thoughtful (and timely) responses. Thank you VERY much!
I would like to make this, but in smaller pans maybe. If I make in smaller pans, would I cook it for the same amount of time? I would be freezing them, then cooking from frozen.
Hi, if cooking them from frozen I’d cover with foil and start with about one hour covered, them uncover and cook maybe another 10-15 minutes (or more until it’s all cooked through).
Stupid question alert but I’m a beginner… how do you reheat it after freezing so it doesn’t dry out? Also after it cools do you just cover it and place it in the freezer or is there something special I should be doing?
Thanks!
Usually I freeze mine uncooked and cook it on the day I want to eat it to avoid the dryer texture if just reheating it.
I am getting back with you on this lasagna that I cook this evening after I made it this morning and put it in the refrig. I have to say it was very very good taking some to my son and his girlfriend tomorrow. And I still have enough for at least two more lunches for myself of course.
Happy you loved this yummy homemade easy lasagna recipe!!
Hi I made this today and we’ll bake it this evening. This is my first attempt making a lasagna homemade I have my fingers crossed that I did it according to your instructions. I will post another comment to let you know how it turned out. Thank you.
If making only to freeze, do I still need to bake first? Or can I later and cool them freeze?
Hi! I always freeze mine, then bake, however you can do whichever works best for you. If you bake first, and try to bake it again to heat it up it might get a little overcooked.
I am planning to do these in 9×6.5in pans rather than 9×13. The larger pan is just too much for our family of 3 plus a toddler to go through. Would you suggest cooking time be the same or less?
Hi! First time to your website. Made the lasagna and it was amazing.
I have never had lasagna with cottage cheese and was hesitant. But! It was amazing.
(I used the no boil noodles since it was what I already had in the pantry. Turned out perfectly!)
Thank you.
wonderful!!!
Hi,
This looks great but my question is can you make this up ahead of time like in the morning and then cook it later that evening?
Hi Susan, yes you totally can!
This was my first lasagna and it turned out great! It was perfect and my hubby loved it. The noodles, sauce, and cottage cheese blended well. Nothing was watery or dry. Thank you for this simple recipe!!!! 🙂
You can soak regular lasagna noodles in the 9 x 13 pan in hot water; makes them soft but not sticky. This has revolutionized lasagna for me! http://living.thebump.com/can-pour-hot-water-baking-dish-cook-lasagna-noodles-8028.html
Do you cook these before freezing them? Or do you just freeze them once they’re assembled?
Freeze once assembled. 🙂
I just made this using your recipe about 3 days ago and cooked one up tonight strait from freeze to oven Big hit !!!! my middle child will eat it but not love it she went back for seconds using this recipe. I wanted to make 3 your way and one a Alfredo way were i took your recipe but used Alfredo sauce and frozen vegetables for one so i got enough for 4 meals and it was just perfect for all 4 of my meals the cheese could have needed more but i buy in bulk and did not measure just did what looked right for us we love cheese. I will admit i was a bit worried i had also made your enchiladas and i was planing for 4 2 red 2 green and i ended up with 4 red and enough to still make the green don’t know if that was my bad or your measurements but none the less i was fine with it i love enchiladas as well that being said i did not want more than 4 lasagna meals since my kids don’t love it thanks for your blog and time it really helps me out.