EPIC Homemade Lasagna is Easier Than You Think!
Try this easy homemade lasagna loaded with veggies, beef, and Italian sausage, all tucked under layers of gooey cheese. It’s a filling and tasty meal that’s great for family dinners or when you want something special.
This dish can be made ahead of time and freezes well either before or after baking! Perfect for meal prep and meal trains.
Lasagna Ingredients
Cheese Filling: This recipe uses a mix of ricotta seasoned with an Italian herbs mix, along with shredded mozzarella and parmesan.
Meat: The recipe calls for ground beef and Italian sausage for extra flavour.
Sauce: For a quick meal, use store bought tomato sauce.
Vegetables: This recipe uses diced onion, red pepper, carrots and zucchini for a delicious vibrant taste. You can also add a layer of spinach or any other vegetables you love.
Feel free to switch up these ingredients as you desire. Try different meats, cheeses, or sauce variations to make it your own.
How to Make Lasagna
Making lasagna is much easier than it seems, especially with this straightforward recipe. Each step is simple to follow, taking the guesswork out of creating this classic, delicious dish.
- Make Meat Sauce: Cook onion and vegetables in a large pan until soft. Add in sausage and beef and continue cooking until brown. Drain any grease well, then add pasta sauce and seasonings. Simmer for a few minutes to thicken.
- Prepare Cheeses: Whisk one egg and stir in the ricotta cheese, salt and seasonings. Separately, shred the mozzarella and parmesan.
- Boil Pasta: Cook lasagna noodles in a large pot of water until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water.
- Layer & Bake: Stack lasagna noodles with layers of meat sauce and cheese mixture, then bake until it turns brown and bubbly.
How to Layer Lasagna
Start by adding a thin layer of the meat sauce to the bottom of a 9×12 casserole dish. Top with 3 lasagna noodles. Spread the ricotta mixture on top. Add another meat sauce layer and then a sprinkling of shredded cheese. Continue this two more times, until the dish is full. Top with one last layer of noodles and 1/2 cup of tomato sauce.
What to serve with homemade lasagna?
This lasagna is perfect to have all on it’s own, or you can serve it with a slice of toasted garlic sourdough bread, homemade caesar salad or sautéed vegetables.
Freezing Instructions
Lasagna is perfect for freezing. I always like to make double for an easy homemade meal on a busy night. Make sure to store it in an airtight container, or tightly wrapped, and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Thaw:
When ready to eat the frozen lasagna, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake as usual. If it’s cold from the fridge, it might need an 20 extra minutes in the oven.
Reheating Leftovers:
You can also freeze any baked leftovers you have. We do this all the time and it reheats perfectly. For frozen leftovers, simply reheat in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes. You can also warm it up in the microwave.
Meal Train Lasagna Recipe
This lasagna is great for sharing with friends or family. Just make it in a container that seals tight and give them this free printable card that has freezing and reheating instructions.
Best Homemade Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
Meat & Vegetable Sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 zucchini diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 500 g Italian sausage diced
- 36 oz tomato sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp salt
Cheeses:
- 2 cups shredded mozarella
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan
- 2 cups ricotta
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
- 1/4 tsp salt
Noodles:
- 12 Lasagna Noodles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
Prepare Meat & Vegetable Sauce:
- Start by warming 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Sauté diced onion for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Add carrot, zucchini, and red pepper to the pan, along with 2 tbsp of water. Cover with a lid and allow vegetables to steam for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Add ground beef and Italian sausage to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 10 minutes.
- Carefully drain off any excess grease.
- Stir in garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and tomato sauce. Make sure to reserve 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce for later.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. This will vary depending on the tomato sauce you used.
- All to simmer for a few minutes to thicken.
Cook Noodles:
- Boil noodles in a large pot of water until al-dente, about 8 minutes.
- Immediately drain and rinse in cold water.
Prepare Cheeses:
- Whisk 1 egg in a large bowl then stir in the ricotta cheese, Italian seasoning and salt.
- Separately, shred the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
Layer Lasagna:
- Add a layer of meat and vegetable sauce to the bottom of a 9×12 casserole dish.
- Add 3 pieces of lasagna noodles on top.
- Spread a layer of ricotta cheese on top of the noodles.
- Add more meat sauce, and a sprinkling of both shredded cheeses. Make sure to reserve 1/2 cup of shredded cheese for later.
- Continue in this pattern two more times until the last layer, which should be noodles.
- Spread the reserved 1/2 cup of tomato sauce on top.
Bake Lasagna:
- Cover with tinfoil and bake for 45 minutes at 350F.
- Remove tinfoil and add the reserved 1/2 cup of shredded cheeses on top. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
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If you try this recipe out, I’d love to see it. Tag me on instagram @gwenthemilkmaid.
