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Mom's Cottage Cheese Lasagna

This cheesy, saucy lasagna gets its wonderful flavor from a blend of beef, Italian sausage, three cheeses, and the secret ingredient, cottage cheese!
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Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 668kcal

Video

Ingredients
 

For the meat sauce:

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1 lb. Italian sausage
  • 1 yellow onion (chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 32 ounces marinara (or your favorite pasta sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (or to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

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 or Dutch oven. 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, and salt, and pepper, to taste. Heat through, then reduce heat to low. Allow the sauce to simmer while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  • While the sauce is cooking, 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 the noodles then lay them out on parchment paper 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 4 more noodles. Finish with the remaining sauce and cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until cheese is browned and casserole is bubbling. Let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before slicing to allow the filling to set up.

Notes

  • To make ahead of time: Assemble the lasagna as usual, then cover and refrigerate. Bake according to the instructions, adding an extra 15-20 minutes to the baking time.
  • To freeze: Assemble the lasagna in a foil pan, then double wrap it in saran wrap then foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Lasagna can be baked straight from frozen. Bake, covered with foil, for 1 hour and 15 minutes, then remove the foil and continue to bake another 20-30 minutes or until the casserole is browned and bubbling. Alternatively, thaw the casserole overnight in the fridge then bake as usual.
  • Substitute the Swiss cheese for provolone or additional mozzarella, if preferred.
  • Ricotta cheese can be substitute for the cottage cheese.

Equipment

  • Microplane Coarse Cheese Grater
  • ZYLISS Garlic Press
  • Calphalon Stainless Steel Saute Pan, 3-quart
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Italian
Keyword cottage cheese lasagna, cottage cheese lasagna recipe

Nutrition

Calories: 668kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 138mg | Sodium: 1463mg | Potassium: 691mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 911IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 494mg | Iron: 3mg