This hearty and meaty American Lasagna recipe will be your new favorite meal to make for family gatherings. It feeds a crowd and is simple to make thanks to using no-boil noodles. Ground beef and breakfast sausage are cooked with garlic, tomato paste, and San Marzano tomatoes to make a delicious deep tomato meat sauce. Cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese make for an extra cheesy and indulgent lasagna. Lastly, buttery bread crumbs are baked on top for an extra crunch and tasty layer of deliciousness. This meal is incredibly comforting and satisfying. Enjoy with a simple salad! 

Say hello to a family favorite meal! There’s really not much to say as this American Lasagna Recipe says it all! The pictures and ingredient list paint a pretty good picture of what this lasagna is all about. It’s comfort food at it’s finest and we simply enjoy it every time I make it. So let’s get into it!

American Lasagna versus Italian Lasagna:

I don’t discriminate against lasagna. I will devour any type of lasagna recipe out there. Who doesn’t love layers of pasta, cheese and sauce? But, there are definitely two types of lasagna that seem to be the most popular. Traditional Italian Lasagna and American Lasagna. So what’s the difference?

Traditional Italian Lasagna is made by layering thin sheets of pasta with a homemade béchamel sauce, homemade bolognese sauce and grated parmesan cheese. Seems simple, but time and patience is key for getting the deep flavor of each sauce that creates such an indulgent and silky lasagna. I have a friend who makes it this way and it’s absolutely delicious!

American Lasagna is typically made with a meat sauce (bolognese), ricotta cheese or cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese. It’s also absolutely delicious, but it’s a bit heartier and typically has less layers of pasta than the Italian version. 

Let’s take a look at how to make the American version!

Ingredients:

• ground beef and breakfast sausage: The two meats used for the “bolognese.” The breakfast sausage adds a wonderful savory flavor to the overall sauce. 
• San Marzano tomatoes: The best tomatoes to use! The whole tomatoes melt into the sauce as it cooks and gives it a chunkier texture that works so well in this recipe. 
• Tomato paste: Tomato paste offers a rich tomato flavor giving this recipe a really deep tomato flavor. 
• Parsley, basil, Italian seasoning and salt: These herbs flavor the entire dish, bringing it all together. 
• Cottage cheese: Since this is a heartier lasagna, the cottage cheese works really well instead of ricotta, giving it that chunkier texture. 
• Parmesan cheese: Love the flavor of parmesan. It has a nice salty and nutty bite.
• Eggs – The eggs help bind the cottage cheese so it doesn’t run out the sides when baked.
• No-boil lasagna noodles: I love these! Cuts down on cooking time and less mess. 
• Bread crumbs and butter (not pictured): I love to add a bread crumb topping to this recipe because why not? We’ve come this far already, let’s make it even more delicious! 

Directions:

 

Tips for Success:

• Prepare all ingredients and utencils before starting. Measure, chop, open cans, etc. 
• Let the sauce simmer as long as you can. It will thicken over time, adding a little water will help loosen it. The longer it simmers the better it will be.
• Let lasagna sit before cutting into it. You can also make it ahead of time and re-heat if needed. I find that any type of casserole tastes better if the flavors have time to sit. 

You can’t go wrong with this recipe! If you’re looking to feed a crowd with just one dish, this American Lasagna Recipe is the way to do it! I serve with a simple side salad to round out the meal, but other than that, everyone will be full and happy!

If you like this recipe, try my Creamy Sausage Pasta!

Yield: 8-10

American Lasagna

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American lasagna is an incredibly dish made with layers of meat tomato sauce, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese. No noil noodles are used to simplify and cut down on time. The result is a delicious, comforting and filling meal to be enjoyed at family gatherings!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

• MEAT SAUCE:
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound ground breakfast sausage
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 9 ounces tomato paste
• 32 ounces whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon salt
• COTTAGE CHEESE LAYER:
• 3 cups cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon parsley
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• BREAD CRUMB TOPPING:
• 3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons), melted
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• OTHER INGREDIENTS:
• 10 ounce package no bake lasagna noodles
• 18 slices mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Drizzle olive oil in a large dutch oven or pot and place over medium heat.
2. Add ground beef and sausage and cook until browned.
3. Add garlic, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Next, add tomato paste and stir well so the meat is covered.
5. Lastly, add San Marzano tomatoes, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and 1 tablespoon dried parsley. Stir well breaking up tomatoes then reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Let simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring occassionally.
6. While the sauce is simmering, add the cottage cheese, beaten egg, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon parsley, 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and 1 teaspoon of salt in a bowl and mix well; set aside.
7. Next, make the bread crumb topping by mixing melted butter, bread crumbs and 1/2 cup parmesan cheeses into a bowl; set aside.
8. Once sauce is done simmering, assemble the lasagna.
9. In a large 9x13 baking dish, ladle 1 scoop of the meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Next, layer 4 lasagna noodles, then spread 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture on top, lastly cover cottage cheese with 8 slices of mozzarella cheese, lastly cover mozzarella cheese with sauce, repeat two more times ending with sauce. You might only have 3 lasagna sheets instead of 4 on the top depending on how many come in the package. This is ok! Lastly, cover the the top with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes uncovered. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Notes

Sauce can be made ahead of time and used to assemble the next day. If you would like to freeze, bake lasagna, let cool completly and then freeze for up to 3 months.