Million Dollar Lasagna: Your New Favorite Cozy Comfort Food
This Million Dollar Lasagna is an incredibly easy and surprisingly quick recipe for a comforting classic. Featuring a rich meat sauce and a luscious creamy cheese layer with ricotta, cottage cheese, and cream cheese, it's sure to become a family favorite.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Mixing bowl
- 9x13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 lb Italian Sausage mild or spicy
- 1 jar Marinara Sauce 24 oz
- 1 can Tomato Sauce 15 oz
- 1 package Lasagna Noodles 8 oz, uncooked
- 1 cup Ricotta Cheese
- 1 cup Cottage Cheese
- 8 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 2 cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese divided
- 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2 large Eggs
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
Instructions
- Step 1: Get the Meat Sauce Sizzling: In your biggest skillet, brown the ground beef and Italian sausage over medium heat, breaking it up. Drain extra grease. Stir in the marinara sauce, tomato sauce, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes to blend flavors.
- Step 2: Whip Up the Cheesy Dream: In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, softened cream cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, the Parmesan, and the eggs. Mix until smooth, thick, and creamy.
- Step 3: Oven's Getting Warm, Dish Getting Ready: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- Step 4: Time to Build! Layer by Layer: Spread a thin layer of meat sauce across the bottom of the greased dish. Lay a single layer of uncooked lasagna noodles over the sauce. Dollop and spread a generous layer of the creamy cheese mixture on top of the noodles. Add another layer of meat sauce. Repeat the layering: noodles, cheese mixture, meat sauce, until ingredients are used, ending with a final layer of meat sauce on top.
- Step 5: The Cheesy Crown: Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top layer of meat sauce.
- Step 6: Bake Until Bubbly: Cover the baking dish snugly with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and bake for another 15–20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and golden brown on the edges.
- Step 7: The Hardest Part (But Necessary!): Let the lasagna rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving. This allows the layers to set.
Notes
Store cooled leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For longer storage, individual portions or the whole cooled dish can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating. Reheat covered in the oven at 350°F until heated through.