Description
This Four Cheese Make-Ahead Freezer Lasagna is a comforting, cheesy delight layered with rich meat sauce and a creamy four-cheese blend. Perfect for preparing ahead, it freezes beautifully and bakes into a golden, bubbling masterpiece.
Ingredients
Scale
- 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)
- 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
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Other:
- 9–12 oven-ready lasagna noodles (no boil)
- 16 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Prepare the meat sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook ground beef and pork sausage until browned. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, dried parsley, dried basil, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 15–20 minutes.
- Prepare the cheese mixture: In a bowl, combine ricotta, cottage cheese, Parmesan, dried parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble the lasagna: In a 9×13 inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of meat sauce. Add a layer of lasagna noodles, followed by a layer of cheese mixture, and then mozzarella slices. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with meat sauce and a final layer of mozzarella on top.
- Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly.
- Let lasagna rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing and serving.
- For Freezing: Assemble lasagna in a freezer-safe dish, cover tightly with foil, and freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F (190°C) for 60–75 minutes, covered, then uncover for last 15 minutes.
Notes
- Oven-ready noodles save time; if using regular noodles, boil according to package instructions.
- Feel free to swap pork sausage for turkey sausage for a leaner option.
- Lasagna can be made a day ahead and refrigerated before baking.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 95mg