Growing up my mother made the best lasagna. Don’t they always? It was cheesy, tasty and a memory that I try to recreate for my family, too. Since it is so easy and delicious, and only 6 ingredients, I thought I would share it with you too!

This Easy Meat Lasagna Recipe takes less than 15 minutes to put together and about an hour to make. Add the 10 -15 minutes that it needs to cool down before you can eat it and it is a great dinner with little effort but huge flavor!

 

This recipe calls for 6 simple ingredients, some layering and some baking. Anyone can do it and, even if you overcook it- like I often do – you just get a chewy, delicious top layer. Yes, I overcook it on purpose sometimes.

5.0 from 7 reviews
Easy Meat Lasagna Recipe
 
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Cook time
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Enjoy this simple recipe with tons of flavor!
Author:
Recipe type: Pasta
Ingredients
  • 2.5 pounds ground beef
  • Package of Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
  • 1½ jar spaghetti sauce
  • 36 ounces cottage cheese
  • 2¼ cups Mozzarella
  • Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
  1. Brown beef and drain fat. While doing that, spray pan with non-stick spray. Add spaghetti sauce to cooked and drained meat. Add more to make it saucier. Layer bottom of sprayed casserole dish with oven bakes lasagna. Add half the met mixture. Add half cottage cheese on top. Add ½ mozzarella on top. Repeat starting with oven baked lasagna noodles. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes covered. Remove cover, sprinkle healthy dose of Parmesan cheese on top. Cook uncovered another 20 - 25 minutes until top is browning and bubbly. Remove, let stand 10 minutes. Serve.

 

 

Layering is the key to this lasagna. You want to always line your lasagna pans with the noodles first. Otherwise, when you scoop it out, the meat will fall back into the pan. Also, i do a layer of noodles, then meat, then noodles again to make it even more sturdy!

I use cottage cheese for the taste and ease of use. Plus I, personally, like the texture better and think it adds more moisture to the dish, but you can use Ricotta Cheese if you prefer that.

 

I always use the over ready noodles. To make this a faster meal, boiling noodles takes another 10 -15 minutes. Then they come out hot and so you have to wait for them to cool. I can never tell the difference between the precooked and the ones I cook anyway.

Other variations of this dish include adding onions and peppers to the meat mixture, using a spaghetti sauce infused with garlic and oregano and even using sliced sausage, ground turkey, or ground chicken to it. Just make sure you have enough moisture to cook for so long or it will come out dry.

Does your mom make the best lasagna? I’d love to hear all about it!

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