Homemade Lasagna is a family favorite recipe! My wife has been making lasagna like this for as long as I can remember. This recipe makes two lasagnas. We like to have one for dinner and make one to put in the freezer for an easy meal at another time! Homemade Lasagna isn’t hard to make, but it does take quite a few ingredients and some time, so when we make one for dinner we go ahead and make one for the freezer too.

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef
1 large chopped onion
1 tsp each of salt and pepper
2 tsp each on onion powder, paprika, and Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 24oz jars pasta sauce
16 oz box lasagna noodles
16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
15 oz container ricotta
24 oz container cottage cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese + more for topping
1 egg
1 tbsp dried parsley + more for topping

Prep Lasagna

To make the lasagna, start by gathering all ingredients needed for the recipe. Start boiling a large pot of water on the stove. Cook lasagna noodles according to the directions on the box. Once lasagna noodles are cooked, drain them, and set them aside.

Chop an onion and start browning two pounds of ground beef in a skillet over medium high heat.

Add the onion and season with salt, pepper, onion powder, paprika, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.

Cook until the beef is browned and drain any extra grease. Lower the heat to low and add the minced garlic and 2 jars of marinara sauce. Let simmer on low until ready to build lasagnas!

In a large bowl, combine a 15 oz container of ricotta cheese and a 24 oz container of cottage cheese. Add one cup of Parmesan cheese, 1 egg, and 1 tbsp of dried parsley.

Stir the mixture together well and set aside.

Make Homemade Lasagna

Now that all ingredients are prepped, it’s time to start building the lasagnas. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

I like to use two aluminum foil pans since I am putting one in the freezer. I use the half size pans from Sam’s Club that are 12 7/8 x 10 1/4.

Spray both pans with cooking spray. Layer together all ingredients to make the lasagnas. Start with a ladle of the meat sauce in the bottom of the pans. Add 3 lasagna noodles and a couple of scoops of the cheese mixture. Top with a handful of shredded mozzarella cheese.

Add another big ladle of the meat sauce, 3 more lasagna noodles, a couple spoonfuls of the cheese mixture, and more shredded cheese.

For the last layer, add the meat sauce, lasagna noodles, cheese mixture, more of the meat sauce, and top with some shredded mozzarella cheese. This can get a little confusing so see the layers of the lasagna from the bottom of the pan to the top of the pan below!

Layers (bottom to top):
Meat sauce
Lasagna noodles
Cheese mixture
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Meat sauce
Lasagna noodles
Cheese mixture
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Meat sauce
Lasagna noodles
Cheese mixture
Meat sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Once both lasagnas are made you can put one in the oven covered with aluminum foil for about 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes. You can also switch your oven to broil at the end to get it nice and browned. Just watch it so it doesn’t burn!

Lasagna Freezer Meal

The other lasagna can be covered well with foil (I usually use 2-3 pieces) and placed in a freezer to be baked at another time.

When ready to bake the frozen lasagna it is best to thaw it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. If thawed, it should bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes covered with foil and baked uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.

If the lasagna is frozen it can take over two hours to bake. Very similar to the ones you would buy frozen at the store. I have found it’s best to let it thaw prior to baking.

Serve Homemade Lasagna

Once the lasagna has baked and the cheese is nice and browned it’s time to eat! Top the lasagna with a little bit of extra Parmesan cheese and some dried parsley.

We always have lasagna with some garlic bread and a salad! This is also one of those meals that we usually eat two nights in a row and leftovers are always just as good.

If you like this recipe be sure to check out some of my other favorite dinners!

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

I prefer to shred my own mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese from blocks for a creamier consistency.
This recipe makes two lasagnas, one for dinner and one for a freezer meal. I use aluminum half size pans from Sam’s Club that are 12 7/8 x 10 1/4.
When cooking the frozen lasagna I have found that it’s best to thaw the lasagna in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours prior to baking. If you bake it still frozen it can take upwards of at least two hours to bake. If it has thawed it usually bakes for the normal amount of time.
When freezing the lasagna, cover it well in aluminum foil (I usually use 2-3 pieces) and really crimp around the edges of the pan. The lasagna is good in the freezer for at least 3 months.
To keep cheese from sticking to the aluminum foil spray it with a little bit of cooking spray before covering the lasagnas.

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