My Momma’s Homemade Lasagna

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This flavorful, hearty Homemade Lasagna pairs perfectly with a salad and rolls for an every night dinner or a dinner with company.

Homemade Lasagna | My Momma’s Recipe

I made this a week and a half ago after I had a bad case of stomach flu. I felt guilty that I made my husband make himself dinner on our anniversary because I was curled up on the couch snoozing away, feeling like I was going to die. So, to make my husband love me again {and to fill a craving—don’t tell him that part}, I made him a big fat pan of lasagna. I’m talking about the tried and true Ernhofer version my Momma makes that no one ever turns down. I’m a big fan of anything involving tomato sauce and cheese, so of course, this was a home run. My 3-year-old was a little hesitant at first because she typically likes her sauce on the side of her pasta, but we convinced her to take a bite {because she always has to try a bite of everything on her plate…a rule I strictly enforce with my iron fist} and of course, she liked it.

Main Ingredients Needed

There are three different layers needed to make Homemade Lasagna, the noodles, the cheese filling and the tomato sauce. Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Lasagna Noodles – I used boxed lasagna noodles not the pre-cooked kind. You could use whichever you’d like though.

For the Cheese Filling

• Cottage Cheese – or ricotta cheese. Super classic ingredient here.
• Eggs – used as a binder for the cheese filling.
• Salt + Pepper – used as a seasoning, don’t forget these.
• Parsley Flakes – for some color and flavor.
• Parmesan + Mozzarella Cheese – more cheese for more flavor.

For the Sauce

• Ground Beef – I used a 90/10 fat blend but you can use whatever you’d like. Or for a healthier version try ground turkey instead.
• Olive Oil, Onion + Garlic – lots of flavors here in these three ingredients.
• Parsley, Basil, Oregano, Salt + Pepper – all the seasonings you need to make this sauce incredible.
• Diced Tomatoes + Tomato Paste – and to make it tomato-ey I used canned diced tomatoes and tomato paste.

How to Make Homemade Lasagna

For full details on how to make Homemade Lasagna, see the recipe card down below 🙂

Make the Sauce

Brown ground beef in a large pot or deep skillet. Drain off any excess fat and remove it into a bowl. Heat olive oil in a pan and saute onions until tender, 4 minutes. Stir in cooked beef, minced garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir and cover. Cook 30 minutes to 1 hour over medium-low heat stirring occasionally. The sauce should be very thick.

Make the Cheese Filling

In a large bowl, stir cottage cheese together with eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, and parmesan. Keep in the fridge until ready to assemble.

Cook Lasagna Noodles

Cook lasagna noodles in salted boiling water {with a splash of olive oil} for half the time recommended on the box. Drain.

Assemble + Bake

To assemble, spray a 9×13 glass dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup sauce on the bottom of the pan. Line the bottom of the pan with 4 cooked noodles. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture over top the noodles. Sprinkle with half the grated mozzarella and then top with half the tomato sauce. Repeat the layers as follows: noodles, cottage cheese mixture, mozzarella, and sauce. The pan should be filled almost to the top.

Bake covered with foil until hot and bubbly. Feel free to remove foil and top with more cheese during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Cool 15 minutes, cut, and serve.

Make Homemade Lasagna Ahead of Time

Recipe tips: to make in advance, assemble as listed in the recipe, cover and refrigerate or freeze. If you will be freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap and replace foil. Bake at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours until hot and bubbly.

What to Serve with Homemade Lasagna

I always serve Italian food with some sort of bread and salad. If you had company over and really wanted to impress, I’d make this pan of Lasagna, my Holiday Salad, and the ever-so-popular Hasselback Garlic Cheesy Bread.

If you made that whole menu, I’d totally be jealous. And think you were an overachiever. And invite myself over for dinner. I promise I’d eat like a bird. Well, a pregnant bird. But I’ll bring dessert. Deal? Great. What time did you want me? Just call and let me know.

More Lasagna Recipes to Try!

• Classic Lasagna Recipe
• Skillet Lasagna
• Cheesy Lasagna Dip
• Spinach Lasagna with White Sauce
• Lasagna Cups

Anyways, the printable is below…make sure you make this for company! It’s fabulous!

{And to get technical, my Mom got this recipe from a navy blue cookbook in her kitchen that she has adapted several times over the years. I tried to call to get the name of the book, but there was no answer. I think my parents screen their calls. Love you too, Mom and Dad. When I get that info, I will pass it along.}

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My Momma’s Homemade Lasagna

This flavorful, hearty Homemade Lasagna pairs perfectly with a salad and rolls for an every night dinner or a dinner with company.

servings 8 servings

Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

For the sauce-

• ▢ 1 lb ground beef {I used 90/10}
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 1 cup diced onion
• ▢ 1 clove garlic finely minced
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried basil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ salt & pepper to taste
• ▢ 30 oz diced tomatoes two 15 oz cans
• ▢ 11 oz tomato paste two 5.5 oz cans

For the cheese filling-

• ▢ 3 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese {I used low fat cottage}
• ▢ 2 large eggs beaten
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 teaspoon parsley flakes
• ▢ 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ 1 lb grated mozzarella cheese
• ▢ 8 lasagna noodles

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Start out by making the sauce: Brown ground beef in large pot or deep skillet. Drain off any excess fat and remove to a bowl. Heat olive oil in pan and saute onions until tender, 4 minutes. Stir in cooked beef, minced garlic, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir and cover. Cook 30 minutes to 1 hour over medium low heat stirring occasionally. Sauce should be very thick.
• For the cheese filling: In a large bowl, stir cottage cheese together with eggs, salt, pepper, parsley and parmesan. Keep in fridge until ready to assemble.
• Cook lasagna noodles in salted boiling water {with a splash of olive oil} for half the time recommended on the box. Drain.
• To assemble, spray a 9×13 glass dish with non stick cooking spray. Spread 1/4 cup sauce on the bottom of the pan. Line the bottom of the pan with 4 cooked noodles. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture overtop the noodles. Sprinkle with half the grated mozzarella and then top with half the tomato sauce. Repeat the layers as follows: noodles, cottage cheese mixture, mozzarella and sauce. The pan should be filled almost to the top. Bake covered with foil at 375 for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Feel free to remove foil and top with more cheese during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Cool 15 minutes, cut and serve.
• Recipe tips: to make in advance, assemble as listed in the recipe, cover and refrigerate or freeze. If you will be freezing, cover tightly with plastic wrap and then foil. When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap and replace foil. Bake at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours until hot and bubbly.

Nutrition

Calories: 632kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 150mg | Sodium: 1406mg | Potassium: 1003mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1334IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 511mg | Iron: 5mg

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: homemade lasagna