Learning how to make Lasagna will be a skill you use for the rest of your life. This Easy Beef Lasagna Recipe is one of my staple recipes when I am having folks over for dinner or to add to a buffet meal. I always get lots of great compliments and folks take 2nd servings. I like to call it my easy no fail beef lasagna recipe.
I can often make up two at the same time, so there is plenty for everyone and lots of leftovers to freeze for future meals. This definitely keeps well in the freezer if you want to make up meals in advance.
Ingredients for this Easy Beef Lasagna Recipe:
Caution: Please check the ingredients for any allergies / food sensitivities, before trying this recipe.
2 lb. Ground Beef
2-15 oz cans Tomato Sauce or pasta sauce
4 Bay Leaves
1 T Italian Seasoning
½ tsp each of Oregano, Thyme, Basil
¼ tsp Cayenne
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed
7 Button Mushrooms sliced
½ each of Green and Red Pepper, sliced
1 celery stick, sliced
½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
12 oz Cottage or Ricotta Cheese
6-8 Swiss Cheese slices (or mozzarella)
1 egg
10 –12 Lasagna noodles
1 Zucchini – sliced (optional for cheese/parmasen layer)
Instructions for Easy Beef Lasagna:
Brown Ground Beef, drain off excess fat.
Add Tomato sauce and Spices, Bay leaves and cook sauce for 10-15 minutes on low simmer.
Add sliced vegetables (mushrooms, peppers, celery) for last 3 minutes. These don’t need to be fully cooked.
Leave the zucchini for later to be used in the layering.
Once sauce is ready, don’t forget to remove Bay Leaves before you assemble the layers.
In a separate pot of water, half cook the Lasagna noodles, by boiling about 5-6 minutes, then drain. These are easier to place in the pan if they aren’t fully cooked and they will fully cook in the oven later. (Sometimes if I am lazy, I don’t bother pre-cooking the noodles. As long as there is enough sauce to cover each layer, the noodles will cook after 45-60 minutes, so its fine.)
In a separate bowl, combine egg, cottage/ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese in a bowl.
You will essentially have 3 layers separated by 2 layers of noodles.
In a 9 X 13 casserole dish, layer half the meat sauce on bottom, then add a layer of noodles overlapping the edges, then a layer of cheese/egg mixture using it all up in one layer.
Shown below is one layer of meat sauce, one layer of noodles and then cheese and zucchini on 2/3, because my husband was having a sensitivity to cheese.
So I filled in with meat sauce.
Smooth with a spoon to create an even layer. If you like zucchini, then add the zucchini (round) slices (optional) to cover the egg/cheese mixture. Then add another layer of noodles, then finally the remaining meat sauce on top layer.
Add a layer of swiss cheese slices on very top.
Cover and Cook
Cover and cook in oven at 350 degrees for one hour, but remove cover for last 10 to 15 minutes to melt and lightly brown cheese.
The zucchini layer is completely optional. Another variation is to put Zucchini on one half /side of the pan in a layer and leave the other half with just the parmesan/egg mixture. Depends what folks like.
Here is what it looks like coming out of the oven! Yum!
Serve and enjoy this traditional beef lasagna recipe!
Keto alternative:
I recently tried the same recipe, but instead of using pasta noodles I used cooked cabbage leaves. It worked great and the taste wasn’t that different.
Recipe Card:
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I hope you liked this recipe for Easy Beef Lasagna. Come back soon!
🙂 Bonnie