Three cheese beef lasagna is the classic pan of lasagna: tender noodles, a hearty ground beef sauce and a creamy filling of ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan, baked until hot and bubbling. It is the dinner for Sunday supper, a new-baby meal train or any night when the family needs something filling.
How to make three cheese beef lasagna: Brown ground beef, stir in jarred pasta sauce, and mix ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan and eggs in a bowl. Layer sauce, noodles and cheese mixture in a 13 x 9-inch dish, cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Uncover, add the rest of the Parmesan, bake 5 minutes more and let stand 10 minutes.
Why You’ll Love It
- Seven ingredients. Beef, a jar of sauce, three cheeses, eggs and noodles.
- A shortcut sauce. The meat sauce is browned beef and a jar of pasta sauce, heated together.
- Clear layers. Three layers of noodles, two layers of cheese and sauce all through.
- Freezer friendly. Leftovers keep in the freezer for months.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef. One pound, browned and drained.
Pasta sauce. One jar of traditional pasta sauce. The recipe does not give a jar size, so use a standard jar.
Ricotta cheese. One 15-ounce container of part-skim ricotta.
Mozzarella cheese. Two cups of shredded part-skim mozzarella. It goes into the filling, not on top.
Parmesan cheese. A 1/2 cup, grated and divided: half in the filling and half on top at the end.
Eggs. Two, stirred into the cheeses.
Lasagna noodles. Twelve noodles, cooked and drained before you start layering.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 jar traditional pasta sauce
- 1 container ricotta cheese (15 ounces), part-skim
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, part-skim, shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
- 2 eggs
- 12 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
How to Make Three Cheese Beef Lasagna
1. Heat the oven and brown the beef. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brown the ground beef in a 12-inch skillet, checking that it reaches 160°F with a food thermometer, then drain.
2. Make the meat sauce. Stir the sauce into the beef and heat through.
3. Mix the cheeses. Combine the ricotta, mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and the eggs in a large bowl.
4. Layer the lasagna. Spread 1 cup meat sauce in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Add 4 noodles, 1 cup meat sauce and half the ricotta mixture. Repeat those layers once. Top with the remaining 4 noodles and the remaining sauce.
5. Bake covered. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Add the Parmesan and finish baking. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes. Check the center with a food thermometer. If it has not reached 165°F, keep baking until it does.
7. Let stand. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Where Do the Three Cheeses Go?
Two of the cheeses go inside and one is split. The ricotta and the mozzarella are mixed together, with the eggs and half of the Parmesan, into one filling. That filling goes between the noodles in two layers. The other half of the Parmesan waits until the foil comes off, then goes on top for the last 5 minutes.
Here is the whole pan from the bottom up.
| Layer | What goes down |
|---|---|
| Bottom of the dish | 1 cup meat sauce |
| First noodle layer | 4 noodles, 1 cup meat sauce, half the cheese mixture |
| Second noodle layer | 4 noodles, 1 cup meat sauce, the rest of the cheese mixture |
| Top noodle layer | 4 noodles, covered with all the remaining meat sauce |
| After the covered bake | The remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan |
Notice what is not on top: there is no third layer of ricotta mixture. The top noodles are covered with sauce only, right to the edges, so they bake soft under the foil.
Tips for Success
Why does sauce go in the dish first?
The recipe starts with 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the dish, under the first noodles. The noodles sit on sauce, not on the bare dish.
How do I know the beef is cooked?
Use a food thermometer and look for 160°F. Color by itself is not a reliable check for ground beef.
How do I know the lasagna is done?
The center reads 165°F on a food thermometer. If it is not there after the uncovered 5 minutes, keep baking until it is.
Why cover the dish with foil?
The recipe bakes the lasagna covered for the first 30 minutes and uncovered for the last 5, after the Parmesan goes on.
Do I cook the noodles first?
Yes. The 12 noodles are cooked and drained before you layer them.
How Long Should Lasagna Stand Before Serving?
Ten minutes. Take it out of the oven and leave it alone on the counter for that time before you cut it. With the stand included, the whole recipe takes about 75 minutes: 20 minutes of prep, 45 minutes of cooking and the 10-minute rest.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, dividing large amounts among shallow, covered containers. Refrigerated leftovers keep for 3 to 4 days and frozen leftovers for 3 to 4 months. Thaw frozen lasagna in the refrigerator, in cold water or in the microwave, not on the counter.
Reheat leftovers to 165°F in the oven, in the microwave or on the stove. Do not use a slow cooker to reheat them.
What to Serve With It
Bake a tray of 4-ingredient cheese puff squares to go on the side. For the same three cheeses in a different shape, try 3-cheese sausage lasagna roll-ups. For more ground beef and noodle dinners, there is ground beef stroganoff, slow cooker Amish ground beef noodle casserole, slow cooker Amish beef and noodles and slow cooker 4-ingredient beef and noodles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cheeses go between the noodles, and which goes on top?
Ricotta and mozzarella go between the noodles, mixed with the eggs and 1/4 cup of Parmesan. The remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan goes on top after the foil comes off.
How should I layer the noodles, meat sauce and cheese mixture?
Sauce, then 4 noodles, 1 cup of sauce and half the cheese mixture. Repeat once. Finish with 4 noodles and the rest of the sauce.
How long should the lasagna stand before serving?
For 10 minutes.
Can I freeze three cheese beef lasagna?
Yes. Leftovers keep in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F.
Final Notes
I put the reserved Parmesan in a small bowl next to the oven while the lasagna bakes, so I do not forget it when the foil comes off. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Three Cheese Beef Lasagna
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 jar traditional pasta sauce
- 1 container ricotta cheese 15 ounces; part-skim
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese part-skim; shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated; divided
- 2 eggs
- 12 lasagna noodles cooked and drained
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Brown the ground beef in a 12-inch skillet, checking that it reaches 160°F with a food thermometer, then drain.
- Stir the sauce into the beef and heat through.
- Combine the ricotta, mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and the eggs in a large bowl.
- Spread 1 cup meat sauce in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Add 4 noodles, 1 cup meat sauce and half the ricotta mixture. Repeat those layers once. Top with the remaining 4 noodles and the remaining sauce.
- Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil, sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes. Check the center with a food thermometer. If it has not reached 165°F, keep baking until it does.
- Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
