Mom’s Cottage Cheese Lasagna
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Grab your favorite people and treat them to this rich, creamy Cottage Cheese Lasagna. It’s the tastiest way to say “I love you.”
Early last month, I found myself squished in a tiny counseling room at our local hospital, surrounded by my closest family. We were waiting. My mom was undergoing a heart cath, and the surgery had already dragged on longer than expected. My stomach had the requisite knot that seems to be standard for any hospital waiting room. The room was tense, broken up by nervous laughter and the welcome distraction of a happy, clueless one year old.
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The Dr. finally walked in, and we all took a moment to search his face for clues. With kind eyes and a warm smile, he informed us mom was recovering after an unusually long and difficult surgery. What was supposed to be a routine heart cath to check for a blockage they weren’t even sure existed had turned into an arduous 3 1/2 hour effort to repair three severe blockages.
Our family sat, relieved and stunned, as the Dr. told us he was shocked my mom hadn’t had a heart attack weeks ago. She was an anomaly–a patient whose blood work came back normal, who almost passed two stress tests, and who would’ve been sent home that morning were it not for the unease and intuition of one of the doctors.
Instead, she had surgery. A difficult surgery, but a successful one. I consider it nothing short of a miracle that she didn’t have a heart attack, that they found the blockages when they did, and that they were able to be completely repaired. Holding my mom’s hand that night in the recovery room, I thought of all the cliche phrases you hear in a moment like that, and I felt everyone of them. Life is short and precious. Don’t take it for granted. It’s a gift, and not one we get to keep forever.
No one wishes for these kind of scares, but they do provide you with a conscious gratefulness, the kind you decide to practice rather than just passively feel. The next time you sit at the table together with your family, there’s a little more intentionality, a little more paying attention. Dad’s voice breaks during prayer, and when you raise your head, there’s a sheen in everyone’s eyes. You relish the smell of the dishes being passed, the easy conversation, the light in your mom’s eyes when your son gives her one of his rare, genuine, wet and sloppy kisses.
This Christmas, we’ll be serving mom’s cottage cheese lasagna, a dish she’s been making and sharing for many years. I believe it’s the best lasagna in the world, and that’s not just the post-crisis nostalgia and gratefulness talking. Mom’s lasagna has two things that set it apart from the rest of the pack, and of course, it’s all about the cheese. In this case, cottage cheese and Swiss cheese.
I know you cottage cheese haters are holding back a gag right now, but I promise there’s nothing offensive about cottage cheese lasagna. You don’t really taste the cottage cheese, but it gives the filling a less mushy, more creamy texture, which is something everyone, even the haters, will appreciate.
And then there’s the Swiss cheese. It’s a far cry from traditional, but it works really well. A blend of Swiss and mozzarella has all the sweet, nutty, meltiness a lasagna needs. Even if you’re a teensy bit weirded out by Swiss in your lasagna JUST DO IT. I don’t mean to yell, but it’s important.
Lasagna isn’t exactly known for being easy to make, but this Cottage Cheese Lasagna is definitely manageable for the holidays. I always think of the simmering, stacking, and sprinkling as a labor of love. A casserole dish full of meaty, cheesy lasagna always feels special and extravagant, first because it takes some effort to make and second because it’s unbelievably delicious and comforting.
This is the kind of meal that makes you want to gather your loved ones close, hold hands, say grace, and eat together. It’s the kind of dish that fills your belly and your heart. I’d love for you to share mom’s lasagna with your family, and come to the table this holiday season with eyes wide open to the blessings of being together.
Mom’s Cottage Cheese Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. Italian sausage
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 24 ounce jar your favorite pasta sauce (I like a marinara)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
For the filling:
- 1 1/2 cups full fat small curd cottage cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the lasagna:
- 12 lasagna noodles
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups shredded baby Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
For the sauce and noodles:
- Combine the ground beef, Italian sausage, and onion in a large, deep sauce pan. Cook over medium high heat, breaking apart the meat with a spatula, until no pink remains. Drain any excess fat off the pan, then stir in garlic, pasta sauce, oregano, pepper, and salt. Heat through then reduce heat to low. Allow the sauce to simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a fat pinch of salt and swirl of oil (this helps keep the noodles from sticking.) Add the noodles to the pot and cook for about 2 minutes less than the package directions. Drain noodles then lay them out on aluminum foil so they'll be ready to go later.
For the filling:
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside.
To layer:
- Spread a very scant layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Top with 4 noodles laid lengthwise in the pan. Spread half the cheese on top followed by 4 more noodles. Spread half of the remaining sauce over the noodles. Spread all of the cottage cheese mixture on top of the sauce, followed by 3 more noodles. Finish with the remaining sauce and cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until cheese is melted and browned.
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Notes
- I know Swiss seems unconventional for a lasagna, but the bite of it really adds to the dish!
Where do I add swiss and mozzarella?? I missed that part. Ty in advance. Bre
Best lasagna I have ever made. I really enjoyed the swiss cheese which added a unique flavor. I like a lot of sauce so I used a bit more than what the recipe called for. This will be my go-to lasagna from now on. Even my daughter, who is very picky, went back for seconds.
Have my list ,off I go to the grocery store,making it tommorow (Saturday) perfect for the weekend! Can’t wait!
This was the best lasagna I’ve made to date. Or so my boyfriend said.
I’ve made it many times in my life but for some reason this one was different. I didn’t have swiss so I used Gruyere and some extra parm. I also added mushrooms and diced tomatoes.
I’ve used cottage cheese in Italian before but not in my lasagna. It IS creamier.
I like your layering process too. Seemed easier than mine.
I should have made an extra pasta piece though- to cover the ends.
Very good
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for coming back to let me know. Please take a minute to leave a star review if you get a chance!
Funny I’ve been making Lasagne for years with ricotta because I thought you just did. But my picky daughter in law hates ricotta and makes her lasagne with Bechamel. It’s good but kind of goopy IMO. And I kind of realized I don’t love ricotta that much either (texture is weird, flavor seems bland) So then I discovered lasagne with cottage cheese. Yes! This is it! Thanks for sharing.
I just made the cottage cheese lasagna for our late Christmas dinner and we all just loved it!
I added an extra jar of sauce during putting the dish together. It was the best moist lasagna I have made for several years. Thank you for sharing!! Loved it.
My Mom always made with cottage cheese and to this day, at my age of 65+, I have never tasted ricotta. Friends and neighbours always asked Mom to make lasagna when they were invited for dinner. Happy to know that others enjoy the cottage cheese.
I took, at 65, have never made my Lasagna with ricotta cheese. I’ve tasted it ,but prefer cottage cheese. I really like the thought of mixing swiss and mosarella cheese. I’m sure it will turn out beautifully. Thanks to all for awesome recipes.
I have been looking for this recipe for a while. I really don’t care for ricotta and it’s hard to find a recipe for a tasty lasagna with cottage cheese. This sounds like the recipe I used for years but lost. I have it back now and I thank you very much.
I’m baking this for tonight. I used to have a Cottage Cheese recipe and about 30 years ago switched to a Ricotta based one to be “authentic”. I woke up this morning wanting lasagne but realized I really don’t like ricotta. Hahaha. What took me so long? I can’t wait to try it.
Just like my grandma used to make! I know some people feel strongly about cottage cheese being wildly inappropriate in lasagna, but I don’t care! I don’t usually use meat subs, but I wanted to have a lasagna just like my grandma used to make, so I subbed the real meat with Impossible sausage and beyond meat ground not-beef, and it really was just like grandma used to make, and I couldn’t have been happier. Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved the lasagna. I agree, the cottage cheese is what makes this one so good!
I’m confused on where to put the Swiss cheese? Does it get mixed In with the filling or just go on the top. I’m going to make this on Christmas. I love lasagna but my husband hates ricotta so I’m so excited to try this out. Merry Christmas 🎄
Thanks so much for he recipe, making tomorrow… Thanks for your story and what looks to be a wonderful recipe, Thankyou and God bless!
I am going to try this recipe tonight, as my Mother made it this way as a kid. Keep up the stories, was nice to read. I feel sad that somebody (male/female) has to wake up to a miserable old Bear every morning to start their day. Hopefully at the very least they are a good cook?
This was my first time making lasagna from scratch and it turned out AMAZING! My boyfriend and our roommate absolutely loved it! 🙂
Are you needing attention or perhaps you are having a bad day? Your comment was totally rude and selfish. I think we have enough of that in society without reading personal attacks while reading recipe comments. I could have did without your nauseating comment first thing this morning. Thank you in advance for trying to be more sensitive to the feelings of others.
Pretty good lasagna. I just made it and had my first bite.
My mom made a similar recipe back in the 70s that I remember with fondness. I think yours might be a worthy replacement for the grand kids and great grand kids So they can have something to be nostalgic about.
This recipe was fabulous. Whole family totally loved it. Used fresh pasta so did’nt have to cook pasta. i am making another tomorrow to freeze.
Why do we need 87 pages of story before we get to the recipe. I don’t know you, so you are not my family….so therefore, I’m not interested in stories about your relatives. Write down the recipe and that’s it. Don’t need a novel to read when I should be cooking.
There are many reasons why food bloggers write stories or other content before their recipes, especially if, like me, they make a living developing and sharing free recipes on the internet. If you don’t like it, feel free to scroll on by and enjoy your free recipe OR, if scrolling is too difficult, grab a cookbook from your local library.
Wow, could you be anymore rude? You can just jump to the recipe you know. I feel sorry for you. You must be a very unhappy person.
I hope the recipe turned out well for you after all the hardships you endured getting to it.
In response to Bears comment. If you don’t want to read the story behind the recipe you can simply hit the jump to recipe box located around the top of every recipe stories page.
If you don’t want to read it there is a jump to the recipe at the top of the page you can push on to JUMP TO THE RECIPE.