The Best Beef Lasagna

If you’ve never had homemade beef lasagna, then you really are missing out! This is the best Beef Lasagna in the world, and anyone who tries it agrees! Sure, there’s a bit of work involved in making lasagna, but it is oh-so-worth it, and it’s way cheaper and better tasting than anything store-bought!

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Store-bought lasagna and this Beef Lasagna don’t even come close. This layered casserole is filled with tender beef, amazing cheese, and a fabulous sauce, and it bakes up so hot and bubbly, and delicious that after just one bite, you won’t want any other kind!

Don’t be intimidated by making lasagna. I’ve got all the tips and tricks to help you, and if you get everything ready to go, the assembly won’t take long.

This beefy lasagna recipe really is terrific. It’s filled with homemade flavors, and after having made many, many different kinds of lasagna, this is hands down our family’s favorite, and I’ve not made it any other way for more than 10 years.

Trust me; you’ll wow everyone with this amazing beef lasagna recipe!

Ingredients

• Ground beef – I like using ground chuck.
• Onion – Yellow or white onion; chopped.
• Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves; minced.
• Italian seasoning
• Brown sugar
• Salt and pepper
• Canned diced tomatoes – The large 28-oz can.
• Canned tomato paste – You’ll need 2 cans.
• Canned tomato sauce – You’ll need two 8-oz cans.
• No-boil lasagna noodles
• Eggs
• Ricotta cheese – A 28-ounce container.
• Shredded Parmesan cheese
• Mozzarella cheese – Shredded.
• Fresh mozzarella cheese – Sliced. (Optional)

How To Make The Best Beef Lasagna

There are a few steps to making the best lasagna, but the good news is that you can make the sauce a day or two ahead of time and then just assemble and bake when ready!

1. Brown the ground beef, onions, and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain the fat.
2. Add the Italian seasoning, brown sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, pepper, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and tomato sauce to the beef mixture and mix well. Simmer the sauce for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Preheat the oven to 375-F.
4. Mix the eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and remaining salt in a large bowl.
5. Assemble your lasagna by spooning enough sauce into the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish to just cover the bottom. 
6. Layer ⅓ of the noodles over the sauce. A bit of overlap is fine.
7. Cover the noodles with half the ricotta mixture, then top that with half of the shredded mozzarella and ⅓ of the remaining sauce. 
8. Repeat.
9. Top with the remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and the slices of fresh mozzarella. Shredded mozzarella can also be used instead of the fresh mozzarella slices.
10. Bake in a 375-F oven for about 40-45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

• I use no-boil noodles in this recipe because they’re SO easy to work with. You can use traditional noodles, but you’ll need to par-boil them first, and your lasagna could end up a bit saucier.
• Don’t like ricotta? You can sub cottage cheese if you prefer.
• Look for fresh mozzarella in the deli area of your grocery store. It’s often sold packed in water, or it can come as a vacuum-sealed ball of cheese.
• Can’t find fresh mozzarella? Add an extra half cup of mozzarella and use most of it for the topping.
• If the top of the lasagna starts getting too brown, cover the top loosely with a sheet of foil.
• It’s important to let the lasagna stand a bit before cutting. It’ll be MUCH easier to cut and serve and don’t worry, it’ll be plenty hot.
• You can make the sauce up to 2 days ahead of time, and you can even assemble the lasagna a few hours in advance.

Serving Suggestions

Lasagna is one of those recipes that really doesn’t need much with it. You can serve it along with a tossed salad with a yummy dressing or add a side of this cheesy garlic bread to your meal. This dish is great for a leisurely meal, but it’s also terrific for potlucks or when you need to gift a dish of comfort food deliciousness to someone in need.

Storage

Store any leftover lasagna in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can also freeze the leftovers. I like cutting the chilled lasagna into serving-size squares and freezing them. Then you can just thaw, reheat, and eat!

Print Pin

The Best Beef Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chuck
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1.5 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 29 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 6oz cans tomato paste
• 2 8oz cans sauce
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles or 9 of the longer ones you have to boil – already cooked
• 2 eggs beaten
• 28 oz container of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese plus extra for sprinkling
• 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
• 12 slices fresh mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, & garlic. Drain the fat. Mix in the Italian seasoning, brown sugar, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, & tomato sauce. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, mix together the eggs, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, & 1 teaspoon salt. Spoon some sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish, enough to cover the bottom of the dish. Layer 1/3 of the lasagna noodles over the sauce. Cover the noodles with 1/2 of the ricotta mixture, 1/2 of the mozzarella cheese, & 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat. Top with the remaining noodles & sauce. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese & slices of fresh mozzarella. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
• *can sub slices of fresh mozzarella cheese with an additional 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella.

Other Delicious Casserole Recipes

• Bacon & Cheddar Pierogi Casserole
• Cheese Lovers Spaghetti Casserole
• Stuffed Bell Pepper Casserole