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Easy Overnight Lasagna without Ricotta Cheese

This easy lasagna is full of flavor and BONUS: is prepped the day before and baked the following day. Perfect for the holidays or a day where you want a healthy, hearty dinner but know that you won't have time to put the dinner together.
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Keyword lasagna without ricotta cheese
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Calories 902kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
  • ¾ pound lean ground beef
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 6 ounce cans tomato paste
  • 2 6.5 ounce cans canned tomato sauce
  • ½ cup chicken broth or water
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 3 teaspoons dried basil leaves divided
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt divided, or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons parsley
  • 15 lasagna noodles
  • 16 ounces of cottage cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 24 slices mozzarella cheese
  • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Brown sausage, ground beef, onion and garlic together.
  • Stir in all tomatoes and chicken broth/water.
  • To the meat and tomato mixture add: sugar, 2 tsp basil, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, I tsp salt, pepper and half of the parsley.
  • While this mixture simmers, soak lasagna noodles. To do this: place lasagna noodles in a large rectangle dish of some sort. Pour hot (close to boiling water) over noodles. Let noodles sit for 20-30 minutes in water.
  • In a third bowl, combine cottage cheese, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 T parsley.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
  • Assemble lasagna:
  • Spray 11x15 baking dish
  • Spread 2 cups meat mixture
  • Place 5 noodles on top (you may need to cut to fit)
  • Spread 1/2 of cottage cheese mixture
  • Place 8 mozzarella slices over cottage cheese
  • Add 2 cups meat mixture over mozzarella
  • Place 5 noodles on top
  • Spread remaining cottage cheese mixture
  • Place 8 mozzarella slices over cottage cheese
  • Add 1 1/2 cups meat mixture over mozzarella
  • Place 5 noodles on top
  • Add remaining meat mixture over noodles
  • Remaining mozzarella slices over meat sauce
  • Sprinkle with parmesan cheese
  • Garnish with remaining basil
  • Spray foil with non-stick spray, place foil over lasagna.
  • Let lasagna sit for 24 hours in the refrigerator if at all possible.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
  • Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes.
  • Cool for 15 minutes before serving.