Cottage Cheese Lasagna
Published 9/12/2023
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Ready for a lasagna game-changer? Our Cottage Cheese Lasagna is creamy, cheesy, and unbelievably easy to make. With a trio of cheeses and a foolproof method, this is the best cottage cheese lasagna recipe you’ll find online. Trust us; one bite, and you’ll never go back to ricotta!
Cottage cheese is trending on the internet (hello cottage cheese queso!) and we are here for it! If you haven’t tried cottage cheese in lasagna yet, you’re missing out!
Our cottage cheese lasagna isn’t like your average lasagna. Instead of ricotta, we use cottage cheese for a creamy and flavorful lasagna meal.
Simply prepare each layer separately and then layer the lasagna noodles, the meat sauce, and the cheese layer. Bake at 350ºF for 35 minutes and enjoy.
PS: this lasagna freezes super well, too!
What You Need for this Lasagna Recipe with Cottage Cheese
- Cottage cheese– we highly recommend using a full fat cottage cheese for both flavor and so it is thick and creamy. A lower fat content in the cottage cheese may cause your cheese lasagna to be watery. The higher in fat, the better.
- Italian sausage- we used a ground Italian sausage in the marinara sauce. You can change the spice level of the lasagna by what sausage you buy.
- Italian seasoning- Not every Italian seasoning is the same. We made a homemade Italian seasoning for amble flavor. Any Italian seasoning will do.
- Marinara sauce- a homemade marinara sauce or a store-bought marinara sauce will do. Just be sure you find a marinara sauce that you like beause it will determine the flavor of the lasagna.
- Parmesan and mozzarella cheese– freshly grated cheese always melts better. Try to find a fresh cheese and grate it yourself.
Variations
- Vegetarian: Skip the Italian sausage and add spinach or zucchini.
- Leaner Option: Substitute Italian sausage with ground turkey.
- Cheese: You can add a layer of provolone for extra cheesiness.
Tutorial
How to Grate Cheese
Whether you have a box grater at home or find yourself in need of grated cheese and no grater, we’ve got you covered on how to grate cheese without a cheese grater!
FAQ
Yes, you can use cottage cheese in place of ricotta in lasagna. Cottage cheese may give the lasagna a different texture, but still delicious.
Cottage cheese and ricotta cheese are two different cheese and have a different flavors. Though they taste different they both taste great. Cottage cheese is a saltier large curd where ricotta cheese is made with smaller curds.
There are a few reasons why a lasagna could be watery.
– The noodles for the lasagna could still be wet when you layer them in the lasagna.
– What type of cottage cheese you use, matters. Higher fat cottage cheese creates a thicker and cheesier sauce. Lower fat cottage cheese has a higher water contents.
– Over layering a lasagna could cause a watery lasagna.
Best
Cottage Cheese Recipes
Looking for more recipes with cottage cheese? Check out our cottage cheese recipes archives!
Storage Instructions
Let the lasagna cool completely before covering the casserole dish and storing it in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. You could also cut the lasagna into pieces and wrap them individually for an easier meal prep option.
Can you freeze cottage cheese lasagna?
Let the lasagna cool completely and then cover the casserole dish with tin foil. Be sure the lasagna is completely cool or the lasagna may become freezer burned or mushy.
Place the whole lasagna in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheat Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place the covered, frozen lasagna in the oven. Bake the frozen lasagna for about 45 minutes, covered. Remove the tin foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Looking to complete your meal? We love serving this lasagna with cheesy garlic bread and an easy green salad. You could also add more veggies to your meal by making roasted broccoli or green beans.
Cottage Cheese Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. Italian sausage
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 24 oz. marinara sauce
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 24 oz. cottage cheese, ~4 cups
- 5 oz. grated parmesan cheese, ~1.5 cups
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (~2 cups)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package instructions, drain and set aside. About 10 minutes.
- While the noodles are cooking, prepare the meat sauce. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. When the oil becomes fragrant add the Italian sausage and onions. Cook for 5-6 minutes, until there is no pink left in the sausage. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add the marinara sauce and set aside.
- Add the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and eggs to a bowl and mix them together. Set aside.
- To assemble the lasagna spread 1 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer 4 noodles on top of the sauce, and cover the bottom. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Sprinkle ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese on top of the cottage cheese. Spread ¾ cup of the marinara sauce on top of the mozzarella. Repeat the steps until you get to the top layer of noodles.
- Spread the remaining sauce over the noodles. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella on top of the sauce. Cover the casserole dish with tin foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the tin foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
- Allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Tips & Notes
- Skip the Italian sausage to make this dish vegetarian. Or substitute with ground beef.
- Assemble this the day before and bake before serving.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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