What’s not to love about homemade lasagna? This easy lasagna recipe is loaded with cheese and the perfect hamburger tomato sauce. A traditional lasagna recipe that is made with lasagne noodles, spaghetti sauce, hamburger, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese.
Lasagne is defined as the flat, wide pasta noodle. My box of noodle says lasagna noodles on the package. Where lasagna is defined as the Italian pasta dish made of stacked layers of the traditional pasta alternated with filling and different types of cheeses.
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There are many different types of lasagna such as Mexican lasagna, vegetarian lasagna and zucchini lasagna to name a few. I have tried making a “healthier” version of lasagna by swapping out the beef burger for ground turkey burger.
That didn’t go over very well with my family!! Mind you, I didn’t tell them about the switch. As they started eating dinner the looks came and then the questions. “What did you do to our lasagna?” they asked. They insisted that I go back to the “normal” lasagna and stop adding weird things.
I make my lasagna with cottage cheese, but you can add ricotta cheese instead. Ragu Old World Style Traditional Sauce is my easy sauce choice. You can make your own or use different spaghetti sauces. I have tried many different varieties but my family likes this brand.
How to Make Homemade Lasagna
Gather your lasagna ingredients to make your lasagne recipe.
Cook the lasagne noodles according to the directions in a large stockpot. I prefer to cook my noodles before making the layers.
I don’t recommend the uncooked noodles for this recipe. Once cooked, drain the water and run under cold water to cool down the noodles. Drain and set aside.
In a saucepan over medium heat, brown your burger and break up the hamburger as it cooks. Next, turn off the heat.
Then drain all of the fat from the hamburger. Finally, add the pasta sauce to the burger and stir to combine. Set aside.
How to Layer Lasagna
I use a loaf pan to make my lasagna layers because only 3 or 4 people will be eating dinner. You can use a Pyrex baking pan if you want.
In a loaf pan, add a layer of the burger/sauce mixture. Secondly, using the pan as a guide I cut two of the noodles to fit the pan.
Place the 2 longer noodles over top of the sauce mixture. Next, add a layer of sauce on-top of the noodles.
Then, scoop a couple dollops of cottage cheese over the sauce and gently spread out evenly. After that, sprinkle a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese over the cottage cheese.
That is one layer and you want to do two more layer. Start with noodles, then sauce, cottage cheese and top off the mozzarella cheese.
Repeat one more layer. Three complete layers should fit and be right to the top of the pan. Cover pan with foil.
How Long to Bake Lasagna
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. When cooking lasagna place the loaf pan on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for at least one hour.
I check my lasagna for doneness by inserting a thermometer to see how hot it is. If it is at least 165° then you are good.
Once done, pull from the oven and let sit for about 30 minutes before serving. My family is so impatient, they hate waiting that half an hour.
I have discovered that if it is served directly from the oven, the lasagna is very runny and wants to slide all over the place. Plan accordingly and you will be much happier with your pasta dish.
After I pull the homemade lasagna from the oven, the garlic bread gets cooked and served all together. Make a salad and you have a complete meal.
Frozen Homemade Lasagna
When I make my homemade lasagna, I always make two loaf pans. One gets baked to serve for dinner and the other one goes in the freezer for a later meal.
I will usually have enough left over to make my dad and brother a small pan to eat at their house. When cooking my frozen easy lasagna, I have done it two ways.
You can bake it frozen in a 350° Fahrenheit oven for 1 ½ hour to 2 hours. Or thaw and bake as directed above.
More Pasta Recipes
If you are looking for more pasta recipes then try this baked spaghetti, slow cooker spaghetti, and my pulled pork mac -n- cheese.
Homemade Lasagna
What’s not to love about homemade lasagna? This easy lasagna recipe is loaded with cheese and the perfect hamburger tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- Lasagna Noodles 1/2 lb
- Hamburger 1/2 lb
- Ragu Traditional Sauce 24 oz
- Cottage Cheese, small curd 16 oz
- Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded 8 oz
Instructions
- Gather your lasagna ingredients to make your lasagne recipe.
- Cook the lasagne noodles according to the directions in a large stockpot. I prefer to cook my noodles before making the layers. I don’t recommend the uncooked noodles for this recipe. Once cooked, drain the water and run under cold water to cool down the noodles. Drain and set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, brown your burger and break up the hamburger as it cooks. Next, turn off the heat. Then drain all of the fat from the hamburger.
- Finally, add the pasta sauce to the burger and stir to combine. Set aside.
- How to Layer Lasagna
I use a loaf pan to make my lasagna layers because only 3 or 4 people will be eating dinner. You can use a Pyrex baking pan if you want. - In a loaf pan, add a layer of the burger/sauce mixture.
- Secondly, using the pan as a guide I cut two of the noodles to fit the pan. Place the 2 longer noodles over top of the sauce mixture.
- Next, add a layer of sauce on-top of the noodles.
- Then, scoop a couple dollops of cottage cheese over the sauce and gently spread out evenly.
- After that, sprinkle a layer of mozzarella cheese over the cottage cheese.
- That is one layer and you want to do two more layer. Start with noodles, then sauce, cottage cheese and top off the mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat one more layer. Three complete layers should fit and be right to the top of the pan.
- Cover pan with foil.
- How Long to Bake Lasagna
Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. When cooking lasagna place the loaf pan on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for at least one hour. - I check my lasagna for doneness by inserting a thermometer to see how hot it is. If it is at least 165° then you are good.
- Once done, pull from the oven and let sit for about 30 minutes before serving. My family is so impatient, they hate waiting that half an hour. I have discovered that if it is served directly from the oven, the lasagna is very runny and wants to slide all over the place. Plan accordingly and you will be much happier with your pasta dish.
- After I pull the homemade lasagna from the oven, the garlic bread gets cooked and served all together. Make a salad and you have a complete meal.
Notes
Frozen Homemade Lasagna
When I make my homemade lasagna, I always make two loaf pans. One gets baked to serve for dinner and the other one goes in the freezer for a later meal. I will usually have enough left over to make my dad and brother a small pan to eat at their house. When cooking my frozen easy lasagna, I have done it two ways. You can bake it frozen in a 350° Fahrenheit oven for 1 ½ hour to 2 hours. Or thaw and bake as directed above.
Nutrition Information
Yield
5Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 431Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 70mgSodium 1225mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 4gSugar 10gProtein 25g
Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.
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