This lasagne is hearty without being heavy. It’s familiar without being boring, and flexible enough to work with what you already have on hand. The seasoning adds depth. The spinach lightens things up. And the cottage cheese provides additional flavor while being easier to work with than ricotta cheese. This is a lasagne that works well for the family on a busy weekday night and also when guests are coming over – just make more!
Easy Weeknight Spinach Lasagne
Ingredients
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 375 °F.
-
Mix ground beef, fish sauce, jerk seasoning, garlic salt, and Worcestershire sauce. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes.
-
Sauté onion in a splash of olive oil until it starts to soften, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain excess fat. Add garlic and hot pepper sauce; cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, cook lasagna noodles according to package instructions. Drain.
-
Spread sauce over the bottom of an 8x8 or 9X9 square casserole dish.
-
Cut the ends of 2 noodles to fit the pan and layer them (plus trimmed edges) over the sauce. Next spread ½ of the ground beef, all the spinach, and ⅓ of the cheese mixture.
-
Add another layer of noodles and sauce. Top with remaining ground beef, all of the cottage cheese, and another ⅓ of the cheese mixture.
-
Finish with a final layer of noodles and sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella/Monterey jack mix, and Parmesan cheese.
-
Cover with foil (lightly tented so it doesn’t stick to the cheese) and bake for 25 minutes
-
Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned around the edges.
-
Allow to sit for 15 minutes before cutting (or optimally 30 minutes, if you can wait that long). This will make it easier to serve.
Note
Quick tips:
- Fish sauce does not make this taste “fishy.” It deepens the flavor the same way anchovies do in other dishes.
- Allowing a rest period: The texture of the lasagne will improve as it sits. The sauce will thicken as it cools slightly. Cutting it immediately after it comes out of the oven will often cause the layers to slide apart.
- Make-ahead for busy nights: assemble the dish completely up to 24 hours in advance. Cover tightly and refrigerate. When ready to cook, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then bake as directed.
- Freezer-friendly option: This recipe can be assembled, wrapped well, and frozen unbaked for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
- Weeknight shortcut: prep and measure ingredients earlier in the day (or the night before) so everything is ready to go when it’s time to cook.
- Leftover tip: Flavors tend to deepen overnight, making leftovers especially good next day lunches.
Grocery List (By Department)
Produce
- Garlic
- Onion
Meat
⦁ 1 pound ground beef (80/20 or 85/15)
Dairy
⦁ Cottage cheese 8 oz
⦁ Monterey Jack cheese - 3 oz
⦁ Mozzarella cheese - 5 oz
⦁ Parmesan cheese - 1 oz
Frozen
⦁ Spinach - 6 oz
Pantry
⦁ jerk seasoning
⦁ garlic salt
⦁ Worcestershire sauce
International
⦁ Lasagne noodles
⦁ Jarred pasta sauce - 16 oz
⦁ Fish sauce
⦁ Hot pepper sauce
Note
Nothing about this lasagne is complicated, and that’s exactly the point. It’s straightforward, dependable, and flavorful, hitting the mark every time. No special occasion required. As an added bonus, it’s even better the next day…if it makes it that long.
