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Lasagna Casserole has all the elements of the traditional lasagna including the noodles, meat, cheese, and the sauce but the process is quick and easy!
True confessions. I have only made a traditional, layered lasagna once in my life. I mainly did it just so I could say I did it. It’s not because I don’t like lasagna, I love a good lasagna. I love the cheese, the sauce, and everything about it. The thing I don’t like is the process of making it. I just find the whole process too time consuming. My solution to a lasagna craving use to be to buy a frozen lasagna at Costco!
This Lasagna Casserole has everything your classic, traditional lasagna has, it is just in a different shape and size and it’s so easy!
Ingredients Needed:
- Cooked Pasta. I like to use fussili noodles because they hold lots of sauce in those little indentations!
- Onion. White or yellow onion, chopped
- Garlic. Fresh minced or chopped garlic
- Cheese. Mozzarella and Parmesan
- Ground Beef. I like to use a 80/20 or a 90/10 blend.
- Seasoning. Oregano and a little red pepper flakes
- Tomatoes. Use a can of good quality crushed tomatoes.
- Parsley. Use for garnish. I like to use fresh if possible but dried parsley will do.
How to Make Lasagna Casserole
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain water.
- Brown ground beef over medium heat.
- Add in chopped onion, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Salt and pepper to taste
- In a bowl, combine pasta, meat mixture, crushed tomatoes and half the mozzarella cheese.
- Put in a baking dish (9 x 13″). Sprinkle with other half of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees F oven for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is golden brown.
Frequently Asked Questions
This dish freezes pretty well. It is a good make ahead freezer meal. I just recommend undercooking the pasta a bit so it doesn’t get too mushy when you thaw and bake. After assembling the casserole, cover tightly with a couple of layers of foil. Place the unbaked casserole in the freezer.
When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then. Let it sit at room temperature to warm up a bit before baking. Follow instructions in recipe to bake.
I prefer the twisty fussili shaped pasta because the indentations provide lots of room to hold the sauce. Another style of pasta that works well is Campanelle Pasta. It is shaped like mini lasagna noodles with frilly edges. Penne pasta will also work.
Lasagna Casserole Variations
- Instead of hamburger you could also use ground chicken or ground turkey.
- Use whole grain pasta. I prefer the Barilla brand.
- You can also switch up your seasoning blend using Italian seasoning or adding in some dried basil.
- You can also use ricotta cheese or cottage cheese to make it a little lighter.
- In place of the canned tomatoes you could also use spaghetti sauce.
Lasagna is comfort food at our house and I love how easy this lasagna casserole makes it to satisfy those comfort food cravings!
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Check out some of my other favorite comfort food recipes :
Lasagna Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 4 tsp garlic minced
- 2 cups Mozzarella cheese grated
- 12 oz. Fusilli pasta
- 1 1/2 lbs Ground beef
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes undrained
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until tender. Drain water.
- Brown ground beef over medium heat. Add in chopped onion, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes. Cook until meat is no longer pink. Salt and pepper to taste
- In a bowl, combine pasta, meat mixture, crushed tomatoes and half the mozzarella cheese. put in a baking dish (9 x 13″). Sprinkle with other half of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is golden brown.
Tips & Notes:
- Instead of hamburger you could also use ground chicken or turkey.
- Use whole wheat pasta instead . I prefer the Barilla Brand.
- You can also switch up your seasoning blend using Italian seasoning or adding in some dried basil.
- You can also use petite diced tomatoes instead of crushed if you prefer.
Nutrition Facts:
Liz says
Do the crushed tomatoes need to be drained or do I use all contents in the can?
Leigh Anne Wilkes says
They are not drained
Cheryl Mace says
Is it ok to make this the night before, place casserole in fridge over night, and bake the next day? If so, would the baking temp and time be the same if the casserole is cold before putting in oven?
Leigh Anne says
It will work fine but you will need to add on some extra baking time if it is cold – probably 15-20 minutes
Sally F says
Is it possible to replace the minced garlic with plain old garlic powder? If so, how much garlic powder?
Leigh Anne says
Yes, as a rule of thumb if I am replacing dry for fresh I use half the amount
Patricia Barner says
There is no PRINT key….???? Am I missing something? Thanks…
Leigh Anne says
There is a print key – it is on the right underneath the photo in the recipe box.