Stouffer's Meat Lovers Lasagna

As someone who develops and tests family-friendly recipes for my blog, I can confidently say this Meat Lover’s Lasagna is one of the most satisfying and reliable dishes you can make! Layered with a rich, homemade meat sauce made from Italian sausage and ground beef, then topped with plenty of gooey mozzarella, it’s the kind of recipe that always earns rave reviews. I’ve made it for both weeknight dinners and special occasions, and it never fails to impress. If you’re looking for a hearty, tried-and-true lasagna that’s been perfected in my kitchen, this one is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

A piece of the meat lovers lasagna is being taken out of the baking dish.

I make this meat lovers lasagna recipe every year for Christmas Day. It is based off of Michael Symon's Mom's Lasagna that I saw on TV one day. I've adjusted the recipe to make it a little more simple and made with more readily available ingredients.

Don't save this pasta recipe for a special occasion though! It can be made for a weeknight dinner or a weekend dinner. The meat lover in your family will thank you! There are lot's of ideas for what to serve with lasagna too! If you are like me and you like to hide veggies in your dinners, this meat and vegetable lasagna is for you too or try my veggie lasagna!

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Why You'll Love This Meat Lasagna Recipe
Easy Meat Lasagna Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Best Meat Lasagna Recipe
How to Layer a Lasagna
Best Meat Lasagna Recipe Variations
Meat Lovers Lasagna Recipe Tips
Serving Suggestions for Meat Lasagna
How to Store Meat Lovers Lasagna
Meat Lover's Lasagna Recipe FAQs
More Pasta Recipes
📖 Recipe

Why You'll Love This Meat Lasagna Recipe

It's great for a crowd! Dare I say this is the ultimate lasagna recipe and everyone thinks so! This is my go-to lasagna recipe to make for a crowd, or to make on the weekends and enjoy throughout the week as leftovers.
It's full of flavor! There's nothing I love more than a good lasagna! Full of fresh basil, creamy ricotta, tomato sauce, and lots of meat, you don't get better than this amazing lasagna! This recipe is the ultimate comfort food!
It can be made ahead of time! This lasagna is perfect to make ahead and freeze or to make the day before and then enjoy the next day. You don't have to worry about making a fresh lasagna the day you need it. Make it the day before and enjoy when you need it.

Easy Meat Lasagna Recipe Ingredients

The ingredients for meat lovers lasagna are labeled.

Olive oil. To sauté the veggies.
Onions and garlic cloves. For added flavor for the sauce. If you don't have garlic cloves handy, you can use garlic powder instead.
Meat. This is a meat lasagna after all! We'll be using both Italian Sausage and ground beef. If you are using sausage links, make sure to remove the sausage from the casing before cooking it. You can also buy ground sausage and add that to the sauce.
Cheese. Lasagna isn't lasagna without ricotta and mozzarella cheese.
Herbs. Fresh basil and fresh parsley.
Eggs. Eggs keep the ricotta mixture together, which keeps the lasagna together.
Wine. It might seem strange that we are adding white wine instead of red wine, but the white wine compliments the tomatoes and isn't too harsh. I find that red wine tends to be a little too much in the tomato sauce.
Tomatoes. You'll need one 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. If you can find San Marzano tomatoes in the grocery store, those are the best. Any 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes will work in this lasagna recipe.

See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Best Meat Lasagna Recipe

The olive oil, onions, and garlic are being sauteed in a large pot. — **Step 1:** In a large heavy bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven, add the chopped onions, garlic, and olive oil. Cook over medium heat for 4-6 minutes or until softened.

Italian sausage and ground beef are added to the pot. — **Step 2:** Add the ground beef and sausage. Cook for 10 minutes or until the meat is browned. Season with salt and black pepper.

The bay leaves are added to the large pot. — **Step 3:** Add the can of crushed tomatoes, white wine, and bay leaves. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for one hour. Skim any fat the comes to the surface of the sauce.

While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat and season with two tablespoons of salt. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Ricotta, fresh herbs, eggs, and Italian seasoning are added to a large bowl. — **Step 4:** In a medium bowl, add the ricotta, eggs, chopped parsley, chopped basil, and dried oregano. Mix well with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients.

The large pot of water is brought to a boil and the lasagna is added to the pot of water. — **Step 5**: Add the lasagna noodles to the pot of boiling water. Cook for 4-6 minutes until the noodles just start to soften. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and carefully remove the lasagna noodles from the boiling water. Lay them out on the prepared baking sheet to cool slightly.

How to Layer a Lasagna

Once the lasagna noodles have cooled slightly, it's time to start layering the lasagna.

A layer of meat sauce is added to a baking dish. — **Step 1:** Spoon a thin layer of sauce to the bottom of a baking dish. Spread it out evenly over the pan.

The lasagna is layered on the meat sauce. — **Step 2:** Add a layer of lasagna noodles on top of the meat mixture.

The ricotta mixture and mozzarella cheese are layered next. — **Step 3:** Add a cup of the ricotta mixture and a cup of mozzarella cheese. Top with a layer of sauce.

The lasagna is layered and ready to be baked. — **Step 4:** Continue layering the lasagna noodles, meat sauce, and ricotta cheese mixture until the noodles at done. On the top layer, add the meat sauce and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the lasagna is hot and bubbly.

Best Meat Lasagna Recipe Variations

Add veggies! Just like in my meatless baked ziti recipe, I love adding spinach to the ricotta mixture. You can also place mushrooms, zucchini, or bell peppers in a food processor and mince them up. Add it to the meat sauce and let the vegetables cook with the meat.

Use no boil noodles. For lasagna, I prefer to boil my noodles first. I find that it gives the lasagna a better texture. If you like no boil noodles, you can use those instead of the uncooked lasagna noodles that you need to boil.

Change the meat! Ground turkey, ground chicken, turkey sausage, or chicken sausage can be used instead of Italian sausage and lean ground beef.

Change the tomato sauce. You can use your own homemade marinara sauce or a jar of your favorite tomato sauce. If you are using a premade tomato sauce, you don't have to worry about sautéing the garlic and onions first as there is plenty of flavor in the jarred tomato sauce.

If you do not have fresh herbs on hand, use dried herbs! For every ¼ cup of fresh herbs, use ½ tablespoon of dried herbs.

Meat Lovers Lasagna Recipe Tips

Make sure to let the lasagna cool before you try to cut into it. It needs to cool for at least 20 minutes before you cut into it. If you don't, the lasagna will fall apart and not be that tall stack that you know and love.
Do not overcook the lasagna noodles when you are boiling them. They should be very al dente because they will cook more in the oven as they bake with the rest of the ingredients.
One pound of lasagna noodles will fill one 9x13 inch pan. To double the recipe, use two 9x13 inch pans. To half the recipe, use one 8x8 inch pan.
When making the sauce ahead of time, grease will form on the top of the sauce when it cools. Skim the fat off the top of the sauce before heating it back up.
If you find that the top of the lasagna is browning too quickly, cover the lasagna with aluminum foil to prevent the top from burning.

Serving Suggestions for Meat Lasagna

Serve this lasagna in small bowls with a dusting of parmesan cheese and some more fresh chopped herbs.

Make a batch of sourdough rolls or whole wheat dinner rolls and serve them with the lasagna.
Italian sauteed eggplant is a great side dish for this lasagna.
Italian stuffed mushrooms would be delicious as an appetizer for side dish.
Dip sourdough discard bread in the extra sauce that's left on plates.
Bake up a batch of Christmas focaccia or sourdough focaccia to enjoy with this lasagna.

bread rolls, parsley, and parmesan cheese are surrounding the meat lovers lasagna baking dish.

How to Store Meat Lovers Lasagna

This is the best lasagna to make ahead of time! You can make the entire lasagna, cover it with aluminum foil, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When you are ready to enjoy it, preheat the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until heated through.

You can freeze this lasagna too! To freeze meat sauce lasagna, put the lasagna together completely and let it cool to room temperature. It's really important not to put the lasagna in your freezer hot because it can bring down the temperature of your oven and cause other items in your freezer to start to defrost. Put it in the freezer for up to 3 months before you need it.

Defrost the frozen lasagna in the refrigerator and then heat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the lasagna is completely heated through and golden brown on top.

Meat Lover's Lasagna Recipe FAQs

Can I make this lasagna into lasagna rolls?

I've never made them into lasagna rolls, but I don't see why you won't be able to. If you make them into rolls, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know!

Can I make this meat lover's lasagna in the slow cooker?

I wouldn't make the entire recipe in the slow cooker, but you can make the meat sauce and let it simmer in the slow cooker for that long, slow cooked flavor.

Do I have to make lasagna with this meat sauce?

No! This meat sauce is so delicious! You can simply boil a pound of your favorite pasta and serve the meat sauce with that pasta. It's not quite a Bolognese sauce, but it's close!

What is the best meat for lasagna?

Ground beef is a great choice because it adds rich flavor and holds up well between the layers. Many people also love using a mix of ground beef and Italian sausage for extra seasoning and a heartier taste. If you want something lighter, ground turkey works too, just make sure to add plenty of seasoning to boost the flavor.

How many layers should a lasagna have?

Most traditional lasagnas have 3 to 4 layers, but there’s no strict rule! As long as your pan can handle it, build it as tall as you like.

What to do when lasagna is runny?

If your lasagna turns out runny, let it rest for at least 15–20 minutes before slicing, this helps everything set. Make sure your sauce isn’t too thin, drain excess liquid from veggies, and avoid using ricotta that’s overly watery. If you’re meal prepping, know that lasagna actually firms up as it cools and is often even better the next day.

The meat lovers lasagna is on a table with a napkin in the background.

More Pasta Recipes

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