This is hands-down the best lasagna ever with juicy ground beef, sausage, and three types of cheese! Layered with savory tomatoes and tender noodles, no other recipe compares.
We’re big fans of comfort food (who isn’t?), especially homemade lasagna. I have favorite recipes like this creamy chicken lasagna, my easy Instant Pot lasagna, and even a one-pot lasagna soup. And it all started with this recipe! The best lasagna needs a few key things, IMO: plenty of sauce, plenty of cheese, and both of these things in perfect harmony with the rest of the ingredients.
What Makes This the Best Lasagna Recipe?
Full of flavor. Between the juicy ground beef, sausage, herbs, and three types of cheese, this lasagna packs all the classic, comforting flavors into a casserole dish. The magic is in the ratio of ingredients, and that’s what makes this lasagna the best.
Make it ahead. There’s the option to prepare this lasagna to bake right away, or you can refrigerate or freeze it ahead of time.
Three types of cheese. Just about any recipe is the best when these many layers of melty cheese are involved!
Ingredients You’ll Need
These are the ingredients you’ll need to make the ultimate lasagna. Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list and recipe amounts.
Ground Beef – I use lean ground beef. You could also make this recipe with ground turkey, chicken, pork, or a mix of ground meats.
Breakfast Sausage – Yes, like Jimmy Dean! It’s one of my secret ingredients for the best lasagna. You can also use ground Italian sausage if you prefer.
Garlic – Freshly minced. If you don’t have fresh garlic, substitute garlic powder (about ¼ teaspoon of powder per fresh clove).
Tomatoes – Canned diced tomatoes and tomato paste. If you can find San Marzano tomatoes, these are a variety from Italy known for their sweeter flavor.
Herbs – Dried parsley and basil, or you could substitute an Italian herb blend for the individual herbs. Another option is to use fresh herbs. In this case, you’ll need approximately 3 times the amount of fresh than dried.
Cottage Cheese – I use low-fat cottage cheese, but you can also use ricotta cheese if you’d like.
Eggs – Lightly beaten.
Parmesan Cheese – Grated Pecorino cheese also works nicely.
Olive Oil – Or your choice of cooking oil.
Lasagna Noodles – Choose your favorite brand of lasagna sheets. The better quality pasta you use, the better your lasagna will be.
Mozzarella Cheese – I use pre-sliced mozzarella instead of fresh mozzarella. You’ll find slices in the cheese aisle near the pre-grated cheese.
How to Make the Best Lasagna
Making lasagna takes a bit of time, but as soon as you serve up that first gooey, saucy slice it’s more than worth it! Follow the steps below, and scroll to the recipe card for the printable instructions.
Brown the meat and add seasonings.Simmer to thicken.
Brown the meat. First, sauté the ground beef, sausage, and garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once that’s browned, drain about half the fat from the pan.
Combine and simmer. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, herbs, and a little salt. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes while you prepare the rest of the layers.
Combine the cottage cheese filling ingredients.Stir to combine.
Prepare the cheese layer. Meanwhile, mix cottage cheese with beaten eggs, parmesan, parsley, and salt. Set the mixture aside.
Cook the noodles. Next, boil the lasagna sheets in salted water with a spoonful of olive oil. Drain the noodles once they’re cooked al dente.
Layer the cheese over the noodles.Top with sauce, repeat, and bake!
Layer the lasagna. Start by arranging a layer of pasta sheets in the bottom of a casserole dish. Spread about half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles, followed by a layer of mozzarella slices. Then, add about half of the meat sauce. Repeat two more times, ending with a final layer of meat sauce. Sprinkle the top with extra parmesan.
Bake (or don’t). Bake the lasagna right away in a 350ºF oven for 20-30 minutes, until it’s hot and bubbly. Or, cover the baking dish and refrigerate the unbaked lasagna for up to 2 days. See the section below for more details.
Tips and Variations
Bake in a glass or ceramic dish. Acidic ingredients, like tomato sauce, can react with aluminum pans and give the food a metallic taste. For this reason, I always recommend baking lasagna in a glass or ceramic baking dish.
Dry the noodles. After boiling the pasta sheets, pat them dry before you layer them into the baking dish. It keeps the lasagna from being too watery.
Layer the ingredients evenly. Try to divide the cottage cheese mixture and sauce evenly between the layers, so you don’t wind up with some layers that are thinner or thicker than others.
To avoid soupy slices, let the lasagna rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes after baking it before serving. This allows the layers to set up, for cleaner slices.
Make it spicy. If you’d prefer your meat sauce with a little kick, sprinkle in red chili flakes or cayenne.
Make It Ahead
As mentioned, after assembling the lasagna, there’s the option to bake it immediately or store it for later. Wrap or cover the unbaked lasagna tightly either with plastic wrap or foil, and place it in the fridge. Uncover and bake within 2 days. You may need to increase the baking time if the lasagna is cold from the fridge (also make sure the baking dish can safely go from cold to hot without cracking!).
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Refrigerate. Store leftover lasagna covered in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Reheat. Warm the lasagna in the oven at 350ºF, or you can reheat slices in increments in the microwave.
Freeze. Let the lasagna cool completely to room temperature and then double-wrap it in plastic wrap or foil. Freeze it for up to 2 months and thaw it in the fridge before reheating.
Make the best lasagna (ever!) with juicy ground beef and sausage, three types of cheese, and herbs layered with tender noodles.
1 1/2 – 2 pounds lean ground beef
1 pound breakfast sausage (like Jimmy Dean) or ground Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 (6-ounce) cans of tomato paste
4 tablespoons dried parsley, divided
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3 cups low-fat cottage cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
10-ounce package of lasagna noodles
1 pound sliced mozzarella cheese (not fresh mozzarella) you can buy it pre-sliced in the cheese section near the grated cheese.
In a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain about half the fat. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil and 1 teaspoon salt. After adding the tomatoes, the sauce mixture should simmer for 45 minutes while you are working on the other steps.
In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons of parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and olive oil to the boiling water, then cook the lasagna noodles until al dente (not overly cooked). Drain.
To assemble: Arrange 4 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little less than half the meat/sauce mixture over the top. Repeat 2 more times so you have 3 layers, ending with meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle the top generously with extra Parmesan.
You can refrigerate for up to 2 days, or bake immediately in a 350°F oven until the top is hot and bubbly, 20 to 30 minutes.
