Cottage Cheese Lasagna (with Oven-Ready Noodles)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
50 mins
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Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
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Servings
12
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Calories
364 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Cottage Cheese Lasagna (with Oven-Ready Noodles)
Description
The Cottage Cheese Lasagna uses oven-ready lasagna noodles layered with a hearty meat sauce made from ground beef, onions, garlic, canned diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, and Italian seasoning enhanced by a touch of cinnamon. The cottage cheese filling blends full-fat cottage cheese with egg and Parmesan to create a creamy, slightly dense layer that contrasts with the tender pasta and meat. Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese sprinkles add melty texture and a savory finish.
Assembling the lasagna involves spreading a bit of meat sauce on the bottom, layering noodles, half the cottage cheese mix, mozzarella, and then repeating with remaining ingredients. Baking at 375°F until set creates a comforting casserole with balanced layers of flavor and texture. The cinnamon adds an unusual but gentle depth to the meat sauce.
Lasagna can be frozen before baking by assembling it in a disposable pan, wrapping tightly, and labeling it properly. To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake until fully heated through, or cook from frozen with extended baking time. This flexibility makes it well suited for meal prep or sharing with others.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef I used 92%, lean
- 1 onion chopped, large yellow (200g
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 14- oz. diced tomatoes drained, canned
- 24 oz. marinara sauce get a good one with lots of flavor! We like Muir Glen tomato basil, jar
- 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 12 lasagna noodles I used Barilla, oven-ready
- 3 cups mozzarella cheese shredded (336g
- 2 oz. Parmesan Cheese grated, 56g
Cottage cheese filling:
- 24 oz. cottage cheese full fat, small curd
- 1 egg large
- 2 oz. Parmesan Cheese grated
- 1/2 tsp salt each
- 1/2 tsp black pepper each
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
- Add the ground beef and onions to a large skillet. Cook over medium-high, breaking into crumbles as you go with a wooden spoon. Drain.
- Add the garlic, stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant then add the diced tomatoes, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, cinnamon and pepper. Stir together. Let mixture come to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes then remove from heat to cool.
- Combine all the ingredients for the cottage cheese filling in a bowl.
- Add about one cup of meat sauce to the bottom of the dish and spread out.
- Layer with 4 lasagna noodles (you can break one if needed to make it fit), then half of the cottage cheese mixture (375g). Sprinkle with 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese (84g).
- Repeat the layers: Add half of the remaining meat mixture (520g), 4 lasagna noodles, the remaining half of the cottage cheese (375g), 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese (84g). Then add the remaining meat mixture (520g), 4 lasagna noodles, 1.5 cups mozzarella cheese (168g)
- Sprinkle the grated parmesan over top.
- Bake for 40-50 min. Cover with aluminum foil for the first 25 minutes and then remove to brown the top some. Broil for a few minutes at the end if desired.
Notes
- Freeze the assembled lasagna before baking by wrapping tightly in plastic and foil in a disposable pan for easy storage and cleanup.
- Label frozen lasagna with name, date, and reheating instructions to avoid confusion later.
- Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake for 40-50 minutes until heated through; cooking from frozen requires doubling baking time but is possible.
- Using oven-ready noodles simplifies assembly without boiling beforehand.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 364 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1/12 of recipe (217g) | |
| Calories | 364kcal | 18% |
| Carbohydrates | 23.8g | 8% |
| Protein | 28.7g | 57% |
| Fat | 17.1g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 7.1g | 36% |
| Cholesterol | 83mg | 28% |
| Sodium | 1108.9mg | 46% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4.5g | 9% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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