It is very useful to have frozen meals on hand for busy days, and making 4 pans (this recipe makes 4 pans) takes hardly any more time than making one. You can also purchase the bulk meat packages that typically cost less per pound, making batch cooking more economical.

Feeding your family this lasagna is like wrapping them in your love. It is the ultimate comfort food! And after you taste this lasagna, you will never go back to the store bought stuff again.

You will need 4 large, deep aluminum foil pans, with lids for this recipe, or 3 plus your regular casserole dish if you plan to use one immediately. Each pan will amply serve 12. 

I usually make lasagna with the ‘no-boil’ noodles, to simplify the process, but I haven’t had success making freezer lasagna that way. So I suggest boiling your noodles for this recipe.

 

 

Ingredients

  • lb ground beef
  • onion, diced
  • 4 T. minced garlic
  • t. salt
  • 4  24 oz. cans spaghetti sauce (I use Hunt’s because it’s usually the cheapest)
  • 2  15 oz. cans diced tomatoes (we like the italian variety)
  • 3 24 oz cartons cottage cheese
  • c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 T. dried parsley
  • 3  16 oz. packages lasagna pasta 
  • 32 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese (divided; use 6 c. in the cheese mixture and reserve the other 2 cups to top the lasagnas once they are assembled)

 

 

Instructions

2. Meanwhile, brown 4 lbs. ground beef, 2 lbs. ground italian sausage, 4 diced onions and 4 T. minced garlic. Add 4 24 oz. cans spaghetti sauce, 2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes with the juice, 4 T. dried italian herbs and 4 t. salt.

3. Also meanwhile, thoroughly mix 3 24 oz. cartons of cottage cheese, 6 c. shredded mozzarella, 6 eggs, 2 c. grated parmesan and 4 T. parsley. 

4. Line your baking dishes up and assemble your lasagna’s assembly-line-style. 

5. Dish about 1/2 c. of the red sauce into the bottom of each baking dish and spread it around. Try to avoid the meat chunks and just use sauce, which will keep your noodles from sticking.

6. Add a single layer of boiled lasagna noodles over the top of the sauce.

7. Add a shallow layer of your cheese mixture over the layer of lasagna noodles.

8. Add another red sauce layer, another pasta layer, another cheese layer, another noodle, and another red sauce layer, keeping them all quite thin so as not to overflow your pan. Finish with a layer of JUST mozzarella cheese. 

If you have shallow casserole dishes, you may need to forgo the last layer. It’s not rocket science, and it will taste just as great, so no stress. Just eyeball it.

 

Remember to label your pan and write these cooking instructions on top: Thaw in fridge overnight. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, and an additional 5 minutes uncovered to lightly brown the cheese. For best texture, let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. I also like to add sides instructions to my labels. Here I might write: Please prepare garlic toast and a salad to accompany the lasagna, so that my kids could be completely in charge of the meal without any help from me.

 

Let the pans cool to room temperature and then add them to your freezer meal stash.

 

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