Mom’s Cottage Cheese Lasagna: Cozy Comfort Food Your Family Will Love

Craving cozy comfort? Try our cottage cheese lasagna recipe. After making this many times, I’ve discovered the trick to keeping it from being watery. This creamy, cheesy lasagna is better than takeout and perfect for busy weeknights. Keep reading for my best tips or jump to the recipe card. If you love recipes like this, you’ll also enjoy Sweet Potato & Caramelised Onion Rolls and Teddy Graham Latte.

What You'll Need for Mom's Cottage Cheese Lasagna: Cozy Comfort Food Your Family Will Love

Choosing the right ingredients makes a big difference, but this recipe is forgiving enough to work with what you have.

• 1 lb lasagna noodles
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• Optional: Fresh basil leaves
• Optional: Red pepper flakes
• Optional: Extra grated Parmesan cheese

How to Make Mom's Cottage Cheese Lasagna: Cozy Comfort Food Your Family Will Love

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Step 2: In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and basil. Add marinara sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Step 3: In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Step 4: To assemble lasagna, spread a thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles on top. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles, followed by a third of the remaining meat sauce. Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining cottage cheese mixture, and another third of the meat sauce. Top with the final layer of noodles and the remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
5. Step 5: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Storing & Reheating Mom's Cottage Cheese Lasagna: Cozy Comfort Food Your Family Will Love

Short-Term Storage

Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Make-ahead tip: You can assemble the lasagna up to 24 hours ahead. Don't bake until ready to serve.

Freezing Mom's Cottage Cheese Lasagna: Cozy Comfort Food Your Family Will Love

Freeze individual portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

How to Reheat Without Drying It Out

Oven: Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. Microwave: Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. Stir halfway through.

Recipe Notes

• Chef tip: For extra flavor, sauté some onions and garlic with the ground beef.
• Best substitution: You can substitute spinach for the cottage cheese for a healthier version.
• Make-ahead: See storage notes for make-ahead instructions.
• Scaling: This recipe can be easily doubled or halved to serve more or fewer people.
• Troubleshooting: If your lasagna is watery, it's likely because the noodles were too soft or the cottage cheese wasn't drained properly. To fix, blot the noodles with a paper towel and drain the cottage cheese in a cheesecloth or fine-mesh sieve before using.

Mom's Cottage Cheese Lasagna: Cozy Comfort Food Your Family Will Love

⏱

Prep

30 minutes

🍳

Cook

45 minutes

⏳

Total

1 hour 15 minutes

🍽

Serves

8 servings

🥗

Diet

Gluten-free

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

• 1 lb lasagna noodles
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 2 cups marinara sauce
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Seasonings

• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil

Optional Toppings

• Fresh basil leaves
• Red pepper flakes
• Extra grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Step 2: In a large skillet, cook ground beef over medium heat until browned. Drain excess fat. Stir in salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and basil. Add marinara sauce and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Step 3: In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Step 4: To assemble lasagna, spread a thin layer of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of lasagna noodles on top. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles, followed by a third of the remaining meat sauce. Repeat with another layer of noodles, the remaining cottage cheese mixture, and another third of the meat sauce. Top with the final layer of noodles and the remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
5. Step 5: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Chef tip: For extra flavor, sauté some onions and garlic with the ground beef.
• Best substitution: You can substitute spinach for the cottage cheese for a healthier version.
• Make-ahead: See storage notes for make-ahead instructions.
• Scaling: This recipe can be easily doubled or halved to serve more or fewer people.
• Troubleshooting: If your lasagna is watery, it's likely because the noodles were too soft or the cottage cheese wasn't drained properly. To fix, blot the noodles with a paper towel and drain the cottage cheese in a cheesecloth or fine-mesh sieve before using.

Storage

• Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
• Freezer: Freeze individual portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
• Oven reheat: Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.
• Microwave reheat: Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through. Stir halfway through.
• Make ahead: You can assemble the lasagna up to 24 hours ahead. Don't bake until ready to serve.

Nutrition Per Serving

• Calories: 480
• Protein: 32g
• Fat: 22g
• Carbs: 45g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 6g
• Sodium: 1200mg
• Cholesterol: 100mg
• Sat. Fat: 12g

Nutritional values are estimates only. Actual values may vary by brand and portion size.

Mom's Cottage Cheese Lasagna: Cozy Comfort Food Your Family Will Love FAQs

A Warm Final Note

I can’t wait for you to try Mom's Cottage Cheese Lasagna: Cozy Comfort Food Your Family Will Love and see how effortlessly it comes together. When you make it, pop back here and leave a rating or share how it turned out — I love hearing from you!