Easy Homemade Lasagna

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This has been my go to, make- ahead Easy Homemade Lasagna recipe for years. I make it for company, for potlucks, feeding a large group people or just for us. I love that I can make it weeks ahead, freeze it and it still tastes amazing when I serve it! In fact, I have to force myself to make anything other than lasagna when I know I have people coming over- it’s that easy.

Recently a colleague asked me if I had a good lasagna recipe and I realized that I didn’t even have it posted on my blog! I decided it was time to change that.

Fresh Lasagna Noodles/No Boil Lasagna Noodles

Fortunately, I was still able to point my colleague in the direction of another amazing lasagna recipe –  My Low-fat Greek Lasagna.  That recipe was a winner in the Olivieri lasagna contest a few years back and it’s sooo good! And it was when I  was developing that recipe, that I discovered fresh lasagna noodles. Now I just can’t go back to the hard boxed ones. It really does make a huge difference. Plus, life is too short to waste time pre-boiling noodles for lasagna. Even the oven-ready variety never get quite soft enough. That’s what I love about this lasagna – the noodles are always perfect!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not talking about making your own noodles here! I wish I had time for that, but such is life. I buy them. And you can buy them too. Here’s the fresh lasagna sheets I buy from my local grocery store. There’s also an amazon link in the recipe if you can’t get this brand where you live.

This recipe is not the only thing I’ve made with fresh lasagna noodles. If you love Mediterranean flavors, then check out my Greek Lasagna Cups  (I’m a little crazy about Greek food!) They are not only portable, making them an excellent lunch, they are lasagna and garlic toast all in one little cup! They also make a wonderful appetizer.

This original “lasagne” recipe (which I’ve adapted) came from my favorite cookbook, The Five Roses Cookbook – A Guide to Good Cooking,  which is over 100 years old.  It was my first cookbook and I still make a lot of stuff out of it, including my classic Easy Pumpkin Pie Filling. It’s so old that this “lasagne” recipe is actually in a section called “Foreign Fare” ha ha.

There are a lot of lasagna recipes out there that claim to be ‘the best lasagna.‘ But I believe that the true testimony is that this homemade lasagna has withstood the test of time. You know it’s a good recipe when it’s still around 100 years later!

And if you’re looking for additional delicious make- ahead and freeze recipes, then give my Stuffed Green Pepper Casserole (Gluten-free) Recipe at try! Both of these dishes are perfect for new Moms or when you know someone that just needs a home cooked meal.

** This post is NOT sponsored by Olivieri

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5 from 1 vote

Easy Homemade Lasagna

This easy homemade lasagna is made meat (ground beef)  with fresh lasagna noodles, fresh spinach, mushrooms and parmesan cheese. It's make-ahead, freezes well and is perfect for feeding a crowd or taking along to a potluck!

Course dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword homemade, lasagna, meat lasagna

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 12 people

Calories 246kcal

Author Adapted from: "Lasagne" Pg. 212 A Guide to Good Cooking - Five Roses cookbook

Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic * or minced prepared garlic
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms * can substitute 1-10 oz can
• 1/2 680 ml can of tomato sauce
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach 1/2 an 8 ounce bag
• 1 cup cottage cheese - reduced fat
• 1 1/2 cups grated shredded parmesan cheese * I use Kraft - see notes
• 1 360g -pkg fresh lasagna noodles * I use Olivieri (* can substitute oven ready but do not recommend)
• 2-3 cups grated mozzarella cheese ( about a 400 g pkg)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9X13 lasagna baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Brown ground beef and onion in large pot. Add water, oregano, mushrooms, tomato sauce and tomato paste and garlic and simmer for 15 minutes
• In a separate bowl,  (washed and dried) spinach with parmesan cheese and cottage cheese.

Assembly:

• Pour 1/2 the meat sauce in bottom of pan and spread evenly. And cover with a layer of 1/2 the noodles (until all covered). Spread all the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles; then cover with the remaining noodles. Top with remaining meat sauce. 
• Cover with aluminum foil creating a tight seal *** This is important or the noodles with not cook properly otherwise!! 

  Bake in prepared oven for 35-45 minutes or until noodles are soft enough to easily put a fork through. 
• Remove aluminum foil and add grated cheese. Return to oven (uncovered) for 15 minutes. Then turn up oven to broil (500 degrees maximum) for 1-3 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned  (keeping a close eye so it does not burn)  Serve hot!

Freezing:

• Cover with "Glad Press n' Seal", as this is the best way to get a tight seal. Then put into x-tra large ziplock bag.  (if you want to keep it in your lasagna pan. If you plan to reheat in the pan (in the microwave), be sure to use a glass pan!

  You can also cut it into pieces (once cooled) and freeze in a sealed tupperware container

Notes

Note: I use Kraft 100% shredded Parmesan cheese. It's more economical than buying 'fresh' and still tastes amazing!

Nutrition Facts

Easy Homemade Lasagna

Amount Per Serving

Calories 246 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 14g 22%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Cholesterol 50mg 17%

Sodium 825mg 34%

Potassium 591mg 17%

Total Carbohydrates 9g 3%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 5g

Protein 20g 40%

Vitamin A 25.1%

Vitamin C 12.2%

Calcium 32.7%

Iron 12.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition

Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 825mg | Potassium: 591mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 25.1% | Vitamin C: 12.2% | Calcium: 32.7% | Iron: 12.4%

This recipe is part ofThe Country Cook’s Weekend Potluck