Lasagna with Cottage Cheese has been a budget-friendly and delicious favorite of Midwestern families for years. Layers of flavorful meat sauce, pasta, creamy filling and cheese make this the best meal!
Jump to Recipe Print RecipeThis Lasagna Recipe with Cottage Cheese has been in my family for many years! Today I am sharing my Secrete family recipe for lasagna with cottage cheese. My mom got the recipe from her mother and she often made this for Christmas Day & Easter when I was a kid (and sometimes for my birthday, too!).
First things , let’s clear this up: Is this lasagna recipe with cottage cheese authentically Italian? No. Is it tasty? Absolutely. Yes, as the name clearly says, this is lasagna without ricotta and it uses cottage cheese instead. I know that ricotta is more traditional in Italian food but this recipe is from the Midwest, where cottage cheese is easy to find, affordable and delicious.
Why You Will Love This Lasagna with Cottage Cheese
One of the very best freezer meals ever. Bake, cool, then cut into pieces and freeze for several future meals.
Won’t empty your wallet. Making a big pan of lasagna can be expensive, but using cottage cheese and deli mozzarella slices instead of ricotta and fresh mozzarella helps keep costs down.
Customize to your taste by using a mix of beef and sausage, all one or the other, or another meat like ground turkey.
Cottage Cheese Lasagna Ingredients
Meat: You’ll need 1-1/2 pounds of meat for the sauce. My mom prefers a mix of ground beef and mild Italian sausage. My dad and I enjoy a combo of ground beef and spicy Italian sausage. You could also use all beef, but the sausage adds an essential depth of flavor to this dish.
Onion: Adds aromatic depth to the meat sauce.
Garlic: Enhances the savory flavor of the sauce.
Tomato Sauce: Plain canned tomato sauce is the base.
Tomato Paste: Thickens the sauce and adds intense tomato flavor.
Dried Oregano: Adds an herbal note. You can substitute twice the amount of fresh oregano if you have it.
Kosher Salt: Seasons the sauce, cheese filling, and pasta water.
Cottage Cheese: The main component of the cheese sauce. Full fat, small curd is best.
Eggs: Bind the cheese filling.
Parmesan Cheese: Adds a salty and nutty flavor.
Dried Parsley: Adds an herbaceous touch
Black Pepper: Adds a subtle heat.
Lasagna Noodles: We use traditional lasagna noodles that need to be boiled.
Mozzarella Cheese: Shredded mozzarella works, but slices are easier to assemble. Use low-moisture, part-skim slices.
How to Make Lasagna with Cottage Cheese
- Prepare the meat sauce and cheese filling.
- Cook the lasagna noodles and unwrap the mozzarella slices so they’re easy to grab.
- Spray a lasagna pan with nonstick spray.
- Place 1/4 of the cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of the dish in a single layer. It’s fine if they overlap a little.
- Dollop 1/4 of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles, then spread evenly to the edges.
- Arrange 1/4 of the mozzarella slices over the cottage cheese mixture.
- Dollop 1/4 of the meat sauce over the mozzarella, then spread evenly to the edges.
- Repeat steps 4 – 7 three more times to use up the remaining ingredients.
- Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until edges are bubbly
Lasagna Cottage Cheese Recipe Tips
This lasagna can be assembled, covered and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. Bring to room temperature on the counter for 1 hour before baking.
We do not cover our lasagna with foil while baking. However, if it starts to get too brown for your liking, loosely tent it with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
If you’re new to using cottage cheese in lasagna, you can use half ricotta and half cottage cheese. Stir them together before assembling the lasagna.
Garnish each piece with extra grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley for color.
Lasagna Recipe (Cottage Cheese) Storage
When the dish cools down to room temperature you can then transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing this lasagna is also quite possible! Prepare and bake according to the recipe then put it into the fridge overnight.
The next day, remove the chilled pieces from the pan and wrap individually in plastic wrap then foil. Freeze the wrapped pieces in freezer bags. To reheat, unwrap as many pieces as needed, place in a small casserole dish with a bit of water cover with foil and bake at 350°F until heated through
Lasagna Made with Cottage Cheese FAQs
Can cottage cheese replace ricotta in lasagna?
Yes! This recipe uses cottage cheese instead of ricotta and it’s amazing. Use small curd cottage cheese so the curds blend more easily and mimic the smoothness of ricotta.
Why do people prefer to use cottage cheese instead of ricotta?
People use cottage cheese for its availability and affordability. It’s often more budget-friendly and easier to find than ricotta.
What are the correct layers for lasagna?
This comes down to preference but it should have at least 3 layers. This recipe makes 4 layers, which works well for a 10×16-inch pan.
Is lasagna better with cottage cheese or ricotta?
The choice between cottage cheese and ricotta is personal. Some prefer the creaminess of ricotta while others enjoy the texture and milder taste of cottage cheese.
Cottage Cheese Lasagna Recipe
Course: Main Courses, RECIPESCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Medium12
servings50
minutes45
minutes469
kcalLasagna with Cottage Cheese has been a budget-friendly and delicious favorite of Midwestern families for years. Layers of flavorful meat sauce, pasta, creamy filling, and cheese make this the best meal!
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound mild or spicy Italian sausage, with casings removed if needed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
For the Cheese Filling:
2 eggs
3 cups small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dried parsley leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For Assembly:
1 box (18 ounces) lasagna noodles
Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound mozzarella cheese slices
For Garnish (optional):
Additional grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh basil leaves
Directions
- Make the Meat Sauce: In a large, deep skillet, cook the beef, sausage, garlic, and onion over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes or until the meat is fully cooked, breaking up the meat with a spoon and stirring occasionally. Remove and discard any extra fat in the pan.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, and salt; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let it cool down slightly.
- Meanwhile, make the Cheese Filling: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Add cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper; mix until well blended.
- Prepare noodles according to package directions; drain.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 10 x 16-inch lasagna pan or large baking dish with nonstick spray. Place 1/4 of the noodles in the bottom of the dish. Spread 1/4 of the Cheese Filling over the noodles. Arrange 1/4 of the mozzarella slices over the Cheese Filling (you can rip the cheese slices into halves or thirds to make them easier to place).
- Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the edges are bubbly. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving, topped with extra Parmesan cheese and basil, if desired.
Notes
- This lasagna can be assembled, covered, and kept in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking. Let it come to room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
- This lasagna also freezes well! What I usually do is make and bake the whole lasagna, then refrigerate the leftovers in the pan overnight. The next day, I take the cold pieces of lasagna out of the pan and wrap them individually in plastic wrap, then foil.I place the wrapped pieces in freezer bags. To reheat, I unwrap as many pieces as I need and put them in a small casserole dish with a little water at the bottom. I cover the dish with foil and bake at 350 degrees F until they are heated through.
Nutrition Facts
12 servings per container
Serving Size1g
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
25g
39%
- Saturated Fat 11g 56%
- Trans Fat 0g
- Cholesterol 118mg 40%
- Sodium 1328mg 56%
- Total Carbohydrate
26g
9%
- Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
- Sugars 9g
- Protein 35g 70%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
