The Easiest, Cheesiest Lasagna

Let’s talk PASTA. I am a lover of all things pasta and cheese and those two things come together in a beautiful abundance in this legendary Lasagna. Some say there is such a thing as too much cheese, but I say NO!

Now, as you read this recipe you might be thinking, “Laura, this is not traditional lasagna.” And you would be right!

The beautiful thing about this “lasagna” is that it’s so DANG EASY.

Ain’t nobody got time to boil long lasagna noodles to the perfect al dente texture or wring the extra moisture out of ricotta so that it doesn’t make the lasagna all soupy or grainy.

Also, and you may not have this problem, my husband is really not a fan of ricotta cheese. He doesn’t tend to be a fan of lasagna because of ricotta, but he LOVED this “lasagna” due to the wonderful lack of ricotta and the glorious addition of ALL the cheese.

My Cheater Secret:

Have you ever seen lasagna without actual lasagna noodles? Well if you haven’t, now you have.

I actually prefer to make my lasagna with bow tie noodles. You might be asking, “why would you do that??” Well, my friend, I have a very logical reason.

Have you ever been eating your lasagna and tried to cut a bite, but then failed to cut it correctly and it all fell apart? Of course you have! Because that happens to EVERYONE.

I much prefer bow tie noodles (or you can use penne if that’s your jam) because it makes it MUCH easier to cut with your fork and your lasagna doesn’t end up in a big, mangled mess of noodles, cheese, and your dreams.

So my easy version of lasagna goes as follows:  bow tie noodles, meat sauce, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, REPEAT!

I’ve never had anyone tell me after eating this that they miss the ricotta or traditional lasagna noodles. Because it’s just better this way!

And yes, you heard me right. CHEDDAR. One normally doesn’t see cheddar cheese in lasagna, but let me tell you, WOW. It makes all the difference! And make sure to shred it yourself!

Did you know that prepackaged shredded cheese actually contains powder that keeps the cheese from sticking together? That’s the stuff that keeps the cheese from melting properly. You can always use it if you’re really strapped for time, but I promise freshly shredded cheese will always make it better!

If you’re an avid prepackaged shredded cheese buyer, I totally understand, but do yourself a favor and shred the cheese yourself just this once! I can’t tell you how much better it makes your lasagna.

Pro Mom Tip:

Add spinach to your sauce! I love doing this because my kids don’t even taste it and it adds another vegetable without ruffling any feathers.

Don’t worry because this lasagna is very time-friendly if you’re in a hurry or if you have some littles running around that demand a majority of your attention.

Feel free to add some garlic bread and a vegetable or salad and you have a well-rounded meal that everyone will get excited about!

Like any lasagna, this one is also freezer-friendly. Just make sure you freeze it BEFORE you bake it in the oven. We don’t want that beautiful cheese on top to get melted, frozen, and then re-melted. Gross.

Now let’s get to it!

How To Make The Easiest, Cheesiest Lasagna:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Brown meat in a skillet and season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Feel free to add more if you like your flavors to be bolder! Cook until pink is gone.
3. Simultaneously, boil your water for the noodles and add 1 tbsp of salt to the water. This gives better flavor to your noodles. Cook until the noodles are al dente (just a tad undercooked. They will finish cooking in the oven.)
4. Drain noodles and add 3 tbsp of olive oil so the noodles do not stick together.
5. Drain half of the fat out of the meat before adding the spaghetti sauce. Add sauce and 1 tbsp of salted butter.
6. Add spinach to the sauce (if you’re doing the spinach) and let it cook on medium for about 5 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt a bit.
7. Shred both cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Now it’s time to layer!
8. Get your 9×13 pan and layer half of the noodles, half of the sauce, half of the cheddar, half of the mozzarella, and REPEAT!
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is all melty and everything is cooked through.
10. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
11. Dig in!

You can find the meat chopper I use here! It’s a game changer!