EASY Meat Lasagna with NO-Boil Noodles -Lightened!

EASY Meat Lasagna with N0-Boil Noodles comes together easily when you use an all meat Bolognese sauce, some shredded mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and of course, no-boil lasagna noodles.  Then bake for 30 minutes and serve!  This meat lasagna is so SIMPLE and SO delicious, you won’t miss all that extra cheese in this one!

Some recipes for meat lasagna can be extremely heavy, containing an abundance of cheeses like ricotta or cottage cheese mixed with eggs, and some are even stuffed with 5 layers or more.

But this easy meat lasagna with no-boil noodles has only three layers, and it’s made with no ricotta cheese added to weigh it down.  A much lighter version than most meat lasagna’s out there.

And, every time I make this one, I make two!

Ideally, it’s great to double all the ingredients and make two meat lasagna’s, so you can pop one into the freezer for another time.  Making it perfect to have one ready to bake and serve on those busy weeknights!

Meat lasagna with no-boil noodles is the one meal that becomes an important survival method when school starts.  Whether you microwave or reheat in the oven, it helps put dinner on the table in no time.  In fact, this is our “go-to” recipe when we need a one-dish-meal that has both protein and carbs.

Serve with a green salad and dinner is done!

A super easy recipe to put together once you have all the ingredients in front of you.

All you need for this meat lasagna is an already made thick and hearty meat sauce.  And a lot of it!

For this recipe, I used Moms Bolognese Sauce, two boxes of no-boil lasagna noodles, grated Parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella, and heavy cream.

When all the main ingredients are in front of you, you can begin!  Putting this lasagna together will take about 10 minutes, and about 30 minutes to bake.

Bolognese sauce is a rich, thick, and meaty sauce made with lean chopped beef, veal, and sometimes pork.  It’s best to make the meat sauce ahead of time so the prep work is mostly done and ready for you.  But you can use any store-bought meat sauce for this lasagna as well.

For a lighter version, I made it with only 3 layers of noodles, along with shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese in between each layer.  Then topped each lasagna with a touch of heavy cream.

Heavy cream adds a fabulous creamy texture to the lasagna, making everyone not only love it even more but will go bonkers!

Lasagna filled with chopped meat like this one is our family’s all-time favorite.  It always turns out perfect!  Surprisingly, it’s so much lighter and delicious without all those extra calories and fat.

Give it a try!

Some Tips on How to Prepare Ahead:

• You can prepare the lasagna and store in the refrigerator up to 1 day before baking.  Since the lasagna will be cold, it’s best to let it sit out on the counter for 1 hour before baking, and it may require a longer baking time to heat it thoroughly, about 40 to 50 minutes.

• NO need to bake before freezing!  Cover tightly and freeze up to 2 months.

• If frozen: and you ready to bake, defrost overnight in your fridge, then leave it out on your counter for least a few hours to be sure it is completely defrosted.  Then increase the time to bake to 45 to 55 minutes, or more if needed.

How to Make this Easy Meat Lasagna with No-Boil Noodles:

Below, we have provided a tutorial with step-by-step directions to show you how easy it is to make 2 trays of our Easy Meat Lasagna with No-Boil Noodles!  Or, you can jump down to the bottom of this post for our full recipe card.

So let’s get started!

 Ingredients Needed for EASY Meat Lasagna with NO-Boil Noodles:

• 2 quarts Bolognese sauce

• 2 boxes oven-ready No-Boil lasagna sheets

• 6 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

• 3 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella

• Optional: 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 2 (12 x 9) baking dishes or foil trays

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees.  Take 2 baking casserole dishes (12 x 9) or one ceramic and one foil ( like shown below) and place them side by side.

Step 1:  For the bottom layer pour one cup or more of bolognese sauce and spread evenly.

Step 2:  Top with 3 to 4 sheets of no-boil oven ready lasagna.  Don’t worry if the sheets do not cover completely.  The lasagna sheets will expand to the ends of the dish while baking.

Step 3:  Pour one cup of sauce on top of the lasagna sheets.
Add a little more sauce, if needed to cover the surface.

Step 4:  Sprinkle 1 tablespoon with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese onto both.
Then scatter 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella on top of each.

Step 5:  Continue to top with another layer of lasagna sheets.  It really doesn’t matter how you lay the sheets.

Step 6:  Pour another cup or more of sauce and spread evenly over the sheets.  Top with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and scatter 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella.

Step 7:  Repeat for the third and final layer.  Layer with the oven-ready lasagna sheets, spread some sauce to cover the surface.  Sprinkle with grated parmigiana cheese, and scatter with shredded mozzarella.

Optional: Pour 1/4 cup of heavy cream on top of each lasagna. This gives a creamy finish to the lasagna while baking.

Final Step:  Cover each one with foil wrap and place both into a preheated oven.  Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the fork comes out steaming hot when it is placed in the center of the lasagna.

Then carefully remove from the oven, and remove the foil cover and return the lasagna’s back into the oven and bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes until the cheese is completely melted on top and the edges are bubbling.  Remove from the oven.

Allow resting for 5 to 7 minutes before cutting, and serve.

Yields: 8 servings

Looking for More Delicious Lasagna Recipes? … then try these:  

• Best Vegetable Lasagna 

• Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna

• Homemade Lasagna with Vegetables

• Oven Roasted Vegetable Lasagna -Lightened! 

• BEST Zucchini Lasagna-No Noodles! (Gluten-Free)

 

Yield: 8

EASY Meat Lasagna with NO-Boil Noodles -Lightened!

Print

EASY Meat Lasagna with N0-Boil Noodles comes together easily when you use an all meat Bolognese sauce, some shredded mozzarella cheese, grated Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and of course, no-boil lasagna noodles. Then bake for 30 minutes and serve!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 quarts Bolognese sauce
• 2 boxes oven-ready No-Boil lasagna sheets
• 6 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 3 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella
• Optional: 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 (12 x 9) baking dishes or foil trays

Instructions

1. Start by preheating the oven to 375F degrees. Take 2 baking casserole dishes (12 x 9) or one ceramic and one foil ( like shown below) and place them side by side.
2. For the bottom layer, pour one cup or more of bolognese sauce and spread evenly.
3. Top with 3 to 4 sheets of no-boil oven ready lasagna. Try to overlap a little and don't worry if the sheets do not cover completely. The lasagna sheets will expand to the ends of the dish while baking.
4. Pour one cup of sauce on top of the lasagna sheets. Add a little more sauce, if needed to cover the surface and spread evenly over the lasagna sheets.
5. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese onto both. Then scatter 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella on top of each.
6. Continue to top with another layer of lasagna sheets. It really doesn't matter how you lay the sheets.
7. Pour another cup of sauce over the sheets. Top with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and scatter 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella.
8. Repeat for the third and final layer. Layer with the oven-ready lasagna sheets, spread some sauce to cover the surface. Sprinkle with grated parmigiana cheese, and scatter with shredded mozzarella.
9. Optional: Pour 1/4 cup of heavy cream on top of each lasagna. This gives a creamy finish to the lasagna while baking.
10. Cover each pan with foil wrap and place both into a preheated oven.
11. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
12. Carefully remove from the oven, remove the foil cover and return the lasagna's back into the oven and bake for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, until the cheese is completely melted and the edges are bubbling.
13. Remove from the oven. Allow resting for 10 minutes before cutting, and serve.
14. Yields: 8 servings

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Thanks for stopping by!  

Anna and Liz