Lasagna is a comfort food classic. This baked casserole has stacked layers of pasta, ragu meat sauce, and four cheeses. Assemble, bake, and enjoy now, or freeze to enjoy later.
This post was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated.
When my family craves comfort food, I turn to this amazing lasagna. The flavors are complex yet familiar and never disappoint. The chewy cheesy layer on top is my favorite!
This lasagna recipe is your go-to for all things:
- Meal prep for a busy night later in the week.
- Re-stocking your freezer with a hearty casserole.
- Satisfy a craving for a hearty winter dish.
Jump to:
Why you will love this recipe
- Layers of pasta, meat sauce, and four cheeses are the ultimate comfort food.
- A 9x13 pan of lasagna feeds a crowd or provides leftovers to enjoy throughout the week.
- This recipe is both make-ahead and freezer-ready.
- It uses no-boil noodles, which saves a step of prep.
- Serve this with garlic ciabatta bread and a garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette or lemon pepper green beans.
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- Ground beef and pork sausage - I love the depth of flavor this combination provides. Ground turkey or chicken sausage can be substituted; however, the meat sauce will not be as rich.
- Canned crushed tomatoes - I prefer using tomatoes that are seasoned with basil, garlic, and oregano for added flavor. Any good-quality canned crushed tomatoes work fine.
Cheese Mixture and Noodles
- Cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and Parmesan cheese - This three-cheese blend has a nicely balanced flavor and a lighter consistency than ricotta alone.
- Lasagna noodles - I love using oven-ready or no-boil sheets, like Barilla. They are so convenient and bake up beautifully. They absorb liquid while baking; no one wants a runny or watery lasagna. Traditional lasagna noodles work just fine, too. Cook according to the package directions and drain well.
- Sliced mozzarella cheese - The top layer of noodles is covered with a generous layer of mozzarella cheese, the fourth cheese in this dish. This creates a wonderfully cheesy, chewy layer, one of the best parts.
Step-by-step instructions
See the recipe card for complete instructions and ingredient amounts.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and sausage. Cook until no longer pink, crumbling the meat as it cooks. Drain the excess fat.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, basil, and parsley. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cover and simmer for 30 minutes (up to 1 ½ hours).
- Combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan, and parsley in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray a 4 qt baking dish (or 9x13 casserole) with cooking spray. Add a layer of noodles to the bottom of the dish, breaking them to fit if necessary.
- Add half of the meat sauce and spread to cover evenly.
- Add half of the cheese mixture and spread to cover.
- Top with another layer of noodles.
- Repeat with the remaining meat and then the remaining cheese. Top with a third layer of noodles. Cover with the sliced mozzarella cheese.
- Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the dish bubbles around the edges. Rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serving options
This satisfying comfort food is the perfect dish for many occasions.
- Dinner parties
- Family gatherings or potlucks
- Bring dinner to a new mom, a busy neighbor, or a sick friend. A ready-to-bake dish that simplifies mealtime is always appreciated.
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Storing and Reheating
- Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Lasagna reheats beautifully in the microwave. Heat individual slices on a microwave-safe plate until warm throughout.
- You can also reheat a whole casserole of lasagna in the oven. Cover with aluminum foil and heat at 350℉ until warm throughout. 45-60 minutes.
Expert Tips for Make-Ahead
Here are two make-ahead options for this recipe.
- Prepare and assemble the lasagna. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, bring to room temperature and bake according to recipe directions. Alternatively, place the cold, covered casserole in a cold oven, turn the oven on, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-25 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and the lasagna is bubbling around the edges and warm throughout.
- Prepare the meat sauce up to 2 days in advance. Let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, mix the cheese mixture and assemble the lasagna. Bake according to the recipe instructions.
Expert Tips for Freezing
- Prepare and assemble the lasagna. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator. Then, bake per the make-ahead directions noted above.
- If you don't want a casserole dish tied up in the freezer, assemble the lasagna in a disposable aluminum foil pan.
- Alternatively, line the casserole dish with aluminum foil, leaving several inches of overhang on all sides. Assemble the lasagna and freeze. Once solid, use the foil overhang to lift the lasagna out of the pan. Wrap the lasagna tightly and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to thaw and bake, unwrap the frozen lasagna, removing the foil. Place the lasagna back into the same dish. Once thawed, bake according to the make-ahead directions.
Recipe FAQs
Is it best to freeze lasagna baked or unbaked?
Lasagna freezes beautifully, but it's best to assemble and freeze unbaked. See below for tips for freezing lasagna.
Can I freeze lasagna with ricotta cheese?
Yes, but it's best to freeze the lasagna unbaked. See below for tips on freezing lasagna.
Do I need to add eggs to the cheese mixture?
No, eggs are not necessary in the cheese mixture for this recipe.
How do I prevent noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pan?
To prevent sticking, simply spray the casserole dish with cooking spray before layering ingredients, starting with noodles.
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📖 Recipe Card
Four Cheese Make Ahead Freezer Lasagna
Lasagna is a comfort food classic. This baked casserole has stacked layers of pasta, ragu meat sauce, and four cheeses. Assemble, bake, and enjoy now or freeze to enjoy later.
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We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later! Plus, get weekly recipe inspiration!
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound pork sausage
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (with basil, oregano, garlic preferably)
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Cheese mixture
- 16 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
- 16 ounces small curd cottage cheese
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- salt and pepper (taste)
Other
- 9-12 oven-ready lasagna noodles (no boil, see notes)
- 16 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Meat Sauce
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef and sausage. Cook until no longer pink, crumbling the meat as it cooks. Drain the excess fat.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, basil, and parsley. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Cover and simmer for 30 minutes (or up to 1 ½ hours).
Cheese mixture
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan, and parsley. Stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Assembling the lasagna
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Add a layer a noodles to the bottom of the dish, breaking them to fit if necessary. Add half of the meat sauce and spread to cover evenly. Top with half of the cheese mixture, spreading evenly over the meat sauce.
- Add another layer of noodles and top with remaining meat sauce. Spread remaining cheese mixture over the meat sauce.
- Add a final layer of noodles over the cheese mixture. Top the noodles with the sliced mozzarella, overlapping generously.
- Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and the dish is bubbling around the edges. Rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing and serving.
- Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Lasagna noodles: If using traditional lasagna noodles, cook them according to package directions while the sauce simmers. Drain well.
Make ahead: Prepare and assemble the lasagna. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, bring to room temperature and bake according to recipe directions. Alternatively, place the cold, covered casserole in a cold oven, turn the oven on, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-25 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and the lasagna is bubbling around the edges and warm throughout.
Prepare the meat sauce up to 2 days in advance: Prepare and simmer. Let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, mix the cheese mixture and assemble the lasagna. Bake according to the recipe instructions.
To freeze: Prepare and assemble the lasagna. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to two months. Thaw in the refrigerator. Then bake per the make-ahead directions noted above.
If you don't want a casserole dish tied up in the freezer, assemble the lasagna in a disposable aluminum foil pan.
Alternatively, line the casserole dish with aluminum foil, leaving several inches of overhang on all sides. Assemble the lasagna and freeze. Once solid, use the foil overhang to lift the lasagna out of the pan. Wrap the lasagna tightly and store it in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to thaw and bake, unwrap the frozen lasagna, removing the foil. Place the lasagna back into the same dish. Once thawed, bake according to the make-ahead directions.
Reheating: Lasagna reheats beautifully in the microwave. Heat individual slices on a microwave-safe plate until warm throughout.
You can also reheat a whole casserole of lasagna in the oven. Cover with aluminum foil and heat at 350°F until warm throughout, approx. 45-60 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 760kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 51g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 1295mg | Potassium: 909mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1078IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 642mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutritional information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific ingredients used.
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