Best Hearty Lasagna Recipes

HEARTY VEGETABLE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Rinse with cold water, and drain.
• In a large saucepan, cook and stir mushrooms, green peppers, onion, and garlic in oil. Stir in pasta sauce and basil; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
• Mix together ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella cheese, and eggs.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread 1 cup tomato sauce into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer 1/2 each, lasagna noodles, ricotta mix, sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering, and top with remaining 2 cups mozzarella cheese.
• Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

EASY HEARTY LASAGNA

Steps:

• Mix sauce, cooked meat and water.
• Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture onto bottom of 12 x 8 inch baking dish.
• Top with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, 1/2 of the ricotta cheese, 1/2 of the shredded cheese and 1/2 of the remaining sauce mixture.
• Top with remaining 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, ricotta cheese, sauce mixture and shredded cheese.
• Cover tightly with foil.
• Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
• Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

HEARTY SAUSAGE AND CHEESE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a Dutch oven, cook sausage over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Remove with a slotted spoon. Discard drippings in pan., Add onions to same pan; cook and stir over medium heat until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, celery, parsley, bay leaf, brown sugar, oregano, salt and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf., Remove 1 cup sauce from pan. Stir cooked sausage into remaining sauce. Spread reserved sauce into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles and half of each of the following: sausage mixture, ricotta, mozzarella and provolone. Repeat layers (dish will be full)., Bake, covered, 55-65 minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

HEARTY LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef, onion and garlic in oil until meat is browned and onion is tender; drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper. Place carrots and celery in sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. , Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse in cold water. Remove and discard carrots and celery. , In a greased 13x9-in. baking dish, layer one-third of the noodles, one-third of the meat sauce, one-third of the ricotta, one-third of the mozzarella and one-third of the Parmesan. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining noodles and meat sauce. , Cut a heart out of aluminum foil and center on top of sauce. Dollop and spread remaining ricotta around heart. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes. Remove and discard foil heart. Let stand 10-15 minutes before cutting.

HEARTY MEAT LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper, garlic and dried herbs; cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until vegetables soften.
• Crumble in beef and pork and brown all over, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato juice, chili sauce, tomato paste and Worcestershire Sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Spread 1/4 of the sauce in to a 13- x 9-in (3 L) casserole dish. Top with 3 noodles. Layer with 1/4 more sauce and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat layers twice, ending with cheese.
• Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil and bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

HEARTY LASAGNA FOR TWO

Steps:

• 1. In Crock pot, cook meat, onion and garlic on a high temp until meat starts to brown and onions and garlic have sweated, but not burned. Stir in crushed tomatoes, paste, sauce and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, 3/4 tbsp salt, pepper and 1 tsp of dried parsley. Let this come up in temperature, cover and simmer for approx 2 1/2 hrs.
• 2. Prepare noodles by breaking noodles to fit an 8x8 baking pan. Set aside until ready to assemble after sauce has simmered. Once it has simmered long enough, turn off Crock pot rinse the noodles with warm water, no need to cook the noodles. Preheat oven to 375° F.
• 3. Prepare cheese mixture by adding ricotta cheese, egg, 1 tsp parsley and 1/4 tsp salt. Add 1 tbsp of the Parmesan cheese and mix to combine.
• 4. To Assemble: With a 1/2 c measuring cup, or ladle, place one or 1 1/2 scoops of sauce on the bottom of the 8x8 pan. Place one layer of your pre-measured noodles on the sauce. Spread or dollop the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles and try to spread it best you can. Sprinkle or place the Mozzarella/Provolone cheese mixture on top of that. Next, another layer of the sauce, then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over that. You repeat this (starting with another layer of noodles) until all of the ricotta is gone. I did two good layers with about 1-1 1/2 cups sauce in each layer, and 2 hand fulls of the shredded cheese mix, to give you an idea. Once you have completed the last layer with Parmesan, I sprinkle a little extra, if any, of the shredded cheese on there too. Cover this tight with foil. PLACE ON BAKING SHEET, this probably will bubble over slightly. Into the 375° oven for 25 minutes. Very carefully, remove the foil at this point, and continue to bake for an additional 25 minutes or so. Remove from oven and let lasagna cool for 15 minutes or so. Meanwhile, you can store the remaining sauce in a freezer container, make an additional lasagna (8x8 pretty aluminum pan, just be careful as it will be heavy, may want to use a baking sheet until the freezer sets it up) and freeze it for a later day or keep in the fridge for spaghetti, pizza, bread stick dipping sauce or whatever you want to use this for.

HEARTY BEEF LASAGNA SOUP

Steps:

• Cook and stir beef, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large pot until beef is browned, about 5 minutes. Drain excess grease.
• Pour beef stock, diced tomatoes, and Italian seasoning into the saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese.

HEARTY MEAT LASAGNA (OAMC)

Steps:

• FOR THE SAUCE: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the meat loaf mix, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper and cook, breaking the meat into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the meat loses its raw color but has not browned, about 4 minutes.
• Stir in the cream, bring to a simmer, and cook until the liquid evaporates and only the fat remains, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato puree and drained diced tomatoes, Bring to a simmer and cook until the flavors are blended, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
• FOR THE RICOTTA FILLING: Stir all of the ingredients together until combined; set aside.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE LASAGNA: Spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish (avoiding large chunks of meat). Place 3 of the noodles in a single layer in the baking dish. Spread 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture over each noodle, then sprinkle the layer with 1 cup of the mozzarella. Spoon 1 cup of the sauce evenly over the cheeses. Repeat the layering of the noodles, ricotta, mozzerella, and sauce twice more. Place the remaining 3 noodles on top, cover with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella and the Parmesan.
• TO STORE: Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap and then foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. (If frozen, the casserole must be completely thawed in the refrigerator, about 24 hours.).
• TO SERVE: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap the dish and cover tightly with foil that has been sprayed with vegetable oil spray (or use nonstick foil). Bake until the sauce bubbles lightly around the edges, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until hot throughout and the cheese is browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
• TO SERVE RIGHT AWAY: Bake as directed, reducing the covered baking time to 15 minutes.

HEARTY MEAT LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook and drain noodles as directed on package; rinse with hot water and drain.
• In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook ground beef and Italian sausage until done; drain then add mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, and tomato sauce; simmer 10-15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, blend egg and ricotta.
• In the bottom of a 9x13" baking pan, spread layers of 1/3 of the sauce, then 1/3 of the lasagne noodles, then 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, and then 1/3 of the shredded cheese; repeat layers twice.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375° for 20 minutes; uncover and bake another 20 minutes; remove from oven and let stand 5-10 minutes before cutting.
• NOTE: You can get by using 9 lasagne noodles, but I use 12 because I like to overlap them a bit ~ You also may vary the meats and use 1 pound sausage with 3/4 pound beef or whatever combination your family likes.

HEARTY VEGETABLE LASAGNA (WEIGHT WATCHERS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400. Spray 8 inch square baking dish and 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray. I skipped this step and put my sauce in the bottom and didn't need anything to coat the bottom.
• Place eggplant and zucchini on prepared baking sheets, overlapping slices if necessary.
• Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. I skipped the non-stick cooking spray and used olive oil. Bake until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes with their juice, mushrooms, bell pepper, basil, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.
• Reduce heat and cook until sauce is bubbling but not thickened, about 10 minutes longer.
• Spread 1/2 cup of sauce in prepared baking dish. Cover with 1 lasagna noodle and top with 1/4 of eggplant and zucchini.
• Cover with 1/2 cup of sauce and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of mozzarella and 1 tablespoon of Parmesan. Repeat to make 4 more layers, ending with noodle topped with sauce. If any sauce remains, spoon over lasagna.
• Cover baking dish with foil and bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake until sauce is absorbed, about 10 minutes longer.
• Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

HEARTY CHICKEN LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, mushrooms, onion, basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 25 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add chicken; heat through., Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper and remaining salt., Drain noodles. Place 4 noodles in a 13x9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with a third of the cheese mixture, chicken mixture and mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. , Cover and bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and top is lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

HEARTY SLOW-COOKER LASAGNA

Steps:

• Cut three 25x3-in. strips of heavy-duty foil; crisscross so they resemble spokes of a wheel. Place strips on bottom and up sides of a 5-qt. slow cooker. Coat strips with cooking spray. , In a 6-qt. stockpot, cook beef over medium heat until beef is no longer pink, 6-8 minutes. drain. Set beef aside. , In same pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, zucchini and carrot; cook and stir until just tender, 2-3 minutes. Stir in beef mixture, marinara sauce, Italian seasoning and if desired, crushed red pepper. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, eggs and basil., Spread 1/2 cup meat sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker. Layer with 4 noodles, breaking as needed to fit. Top with 1-1/2 cups meat mixture, 1-2/3 cups cheese mixture and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers twice. Cook, covered, on low until noodles are tender, 4 hours. Let stand 30 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with grape tomatoes and additional basil.

NINJA 3 IN 1: HEARTY SKILLET LASAGNA

Steps:

• Place beef into pot.
• Set to STOVETOP HIGH.
• Cook uncovered 10 minute or until beef is browned, stirring often.
• Arrange noodle pieces over beef.
• Pour sauce and water over noodles.
• Set to STOVETOP MED.
• Cover and cook 15-20 minutes or until noodles are tender.
• Turn off pot.
• Stir in spinach.
• Stir cheese in bowl.
• Spoon cheese mixture over noodle mixture.
• Cover and let stand.

HEARTY MEAT LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 Heat oil in large Dutch oven until shimmering but not smoking. Add onions and cook until soft then add garlic and cook 2 min. Increase heat and add meats, salt and pepper. Cook and break meat into small pieces until meat is not raw but not really browned. Add cream and simmer, stirring, until the liquid evaporates and only the fat remains (about 4 min.) Add all tomatoes and simmer until flavors are blended. Set aside. (can refrigerated for 2 days). Mix ricotta, 1 C parmesan, basil, egg, salt & pepper in med. bowl with fork until combined and creamy. Smear bottom of 9 x 13" baking dish with 1/4 C meat sauce. Place 3 noodles on top. Drop 3 Tbs ricotta mixture on center of each noodle and level the mounds with the back side of a spoon. Sprinkle evenly with 1 C mozzarella cheese. Spoon 1 1/2 C meat sauce over mozzarella. Repeat layering noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and sauce 2 more times. Top with 1 C mozzarella and 1/4 C parmesan. Spray foil with non stick oil and cover lasagna,. Bake 15 minutes then remove foil and continue baking until cheese is spotty brown and sauce is bubbling (about 25 min). Cool 10 min. before cutting

NEW BEST RECIPE HEARTY MEAT LASAGNA

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
• For the sauce: Pre-heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion. Cook until translucent. Add garlic, cook until fragrant, or about 30 seconds.
• Increase heat to medium high. Add meat, salt and pepper. Cook until meat is no longer a raw color, but not browned.
• Add the cream and simmer until the liquid is about halved.
• Add the pureed and diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer until flavors are blended. About 20 minutes.
• For the Layers:.
• Mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the parmesan, the basil, egg, salt, pepper in a medium bowl and mix with a fork until creamy and well combined.
• Smear the entire bottom of a 13x9 inch baking dish with 1/4 cup of the sauce. Place 3 noodles on top of the sauce. Drop 3 T. onto each of the noodles and smear with the back of a spoon.
• Sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce over the cheese mixture. Top with 3 more noodles. Continue this process 2 more times.
• Place the remaining 3 noodles on the sauce, spread with remaining sauce, sprinkle remaining cheese, and parmesan.
• Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.

HEARTY VEGGIE LASAGNA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray the inside of a 13 x 9-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Drain the cottage cheese in a strainer for 15 minutes to remove any excess liquid; set aside. Press the thawed spinach in a strainer with a spoon or paper towels to remove excess water; set aside.
• Combine eggs, cottage cheese, mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add the drained spinach, beans, garlic, oregano, basil and thyme, and sauté five minutes. Add pasta sauce and stir for a few more minutes until combined well.
• Spread 1/3 of the pasta sauce mixture onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles, 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture and another third of the sauce. Repeat the layer. Finish with the last 1/3 of the bean-pasta sauce mixture. Gently press down on the top of the lasagna to make sure all of the noodles are covered with sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle on remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake 15 minutes more or until lasagna is heated through and bubbly.

HEARTY MEXICAN LASAGNA

Steps:

• In several Dutch ovens over medium heat, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the taco seasoning, tomato sauce and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. , Spoon about 2 cups each into six 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Top with a single layer of tortilla strips. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Repeat layers two more times. Divide the remaining meat sauce among pans (each pan will have about 7 cups of sauce). Top with remaining tortillas. , Cover and bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

HEARTY ITALIAN LASAGNA SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.
• Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
• To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.
• Source.
• Source: Adapted from 300 Sensational Soups by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds, as seen in the February-April 2011 edition of At Home with Kowalski's magazine from Kowalski's Markets.

HEARTY TORTELLINI "LASAGNA"

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef or turkey, grapeseed oil, 1 T fra diavolo blend and garlic to skillet.
• Brown approximately 5-7 minutes. Drain off any excess grease from the ground beef.
• Add the tomato sauce bag contents to the ground beef skillet. Stir. Simmer uncovered approx 7-8 minutes.
• In a 2 quart casserole pan, layer tomato meat sauce, frozen tortellini (yes, bake from frozen!), and mozzarella cheese, finishing with a layer of tomato sauce and then cheese. Bake COVERED at 400 for approx 30 minutes, or until center of lasagna is hot. Uncover and cook an additional 5-7 minutes to slightly brown the cheese on top.
• Serve with salad and garlic bread.

HEARTY POTATO LASAGNA

Steps:

• In a skillet, brown ground beef with onion; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, seasonings, water and mushrooms; mix well. Pour half into a 13x9-in. baking dish. Cover with potatoes. Pour remaining sauce over potatoes. Cover tightly with foil. , Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese; return to oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.