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    Lazy Lasagna

    plate of lazy lasagna
    Print Recipe

    Lazy Lasagna: The Ultimate Weeknight Hero

    Growing up, whenever my mom let me pick dinner, it was always a toss-up between pizza or her famous Lazy Lasagna. I mean, who has time to wrestle with those slippery long noodles that seem to have a mind of their own? They slide around the pan like they’re auditioning for the Ice Capades, and don’t even get me started on trying to get them to layer neatly.
    Enter my mom’s secret recipe: the ultimate solution for people who love lasagna but don't have time for all that noodle-wrangling nonsense. The best part? You can even do the final heating in the microwave if you’re in a hurry. Because sometimes, you need lasagna and a win in the kitchen!
    Prep Time15 minutes
    Cook Time15 minutes
    Total Time30 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: easy, kid friendly, potluck
    Servings: 6
    Author: Kelly Brakenhoff

    Ingredients

    • 12 ounces egg noodles cooked (1 package). I use whatever pasta is in the pantry.
    • 1 cup cottage cheese
    • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
    • 16 ounces spaghetti sauce marinara is yummy
    • 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey. Around here we use deer burger.

    Instructions

    • Cook noodles.
    • Mix cooled noodles with cheese.
    • If using meat, add the sauce to the meat.
    • You can layer this, but truly you could just throw it all together in a casserole.
    • Layer 1: sauce
    • Layer 2: 1/2 noodle mixture
    • Layer 3: sauce
    • Layer 4: rest of noodles
    • Layer 5: sauce
    • Lightly sprinkle extra cheese on top. If you have fresh tomatoes on hand, slice them and lay them on top too.
    • Bake at 350 for 15 to 30 minutes. Or Microwave with a vented cover for 10 minutes until heated throughout.

    Notes

    This is a great opportunity to sneak extra veggies into your family’s diet. If you like onions, mushrooms, pureed carrots, or zucchini, you can saute those in with the meat and once you add sauce, no one will see the veggies.
    I sometimes double this and bring to potlucks in a large crockpot to keep it warm. 
    It also freezes well if you want to double the recipe and share half with someone you love. And by that I mean me. You can share it with me.
     
    Cassandra Sato Mysteries. Small College, Big Secrets. Background is a college building with a clocktower. Foreground is a young Asian woman wearing a suit and standing with her arms crossed.Whip up this delicious treat, pour yourself a cozy cup of tea, and settle in with one of my Cassandra Sato Mysteries! Nothing pairs better with a fresh-from-the-oven snack than a twisty mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat. 🍵🔍 Happy reading and happy baking!

    Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 15 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.

    In 2025, two of her children’s books were selected for the CBC Favorites Award Lists, honored by teachers and librarians nationwide for excellence in children’s literature. Parents, kids, and educators love the Duke the Deaf Dog books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through engaging stories.

    And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project thrown together the night before it’s due.

    A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.

    Kelly BrakenhoffRecipe, , 2 Comments on Lazy Lasagna

    2 thoughts on “Lazy Lasagna”

    1. I I’m like you what’s in the pantry is what goes in my recipes but cheddar cheese in lasagna I just can’t conceive of the idea I use cottage, mozzarella and almost any other white cheese but a cheddar though I use cheddar a lot in my even just to snack on a piece by itself. But not in my lasagna. I’v also used deer,moose and bear mixed with pork for a good fat balance because there is a very low fat ratio in them. Anywhosers I ramble I like the and used your mom’s recipe minus the cheddar. Kat

      1. Thanks for your note Kat! Yes I thought cheddar in lasagna was weird at first, too. I mostly use mozzarella or an Italian blend too. But a few sprinkles of sharp cheddar on top isn’t bad in this recipe. I love how lasagna is never the same twice because it’s easy to play with ingredients. Our freezer is full of deer meat, but I’ve never tried moose or bear. My husband is planning an elk hunting trip, but maybe he’ll have to try moose or bear too!

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