Mmm, good old-fashioned, hearty lasagna as a beef lasagna casserole. Our easy dinner idea is a recipe for a deliciously cheesy and comforting meal for busy days and peaceful nights. You can also have leftovers for lunch. Our spin on this Italian staple makes it easier for more people to enjoy it. Beef Lasagna Casserole is ready for meal prepping in less than an hour and is also gluten-free!
Thank you to The Kansas Beef Council for sponsoring this Beef Lasagna recipe post, and thank YOU for supporting the brands that help make Meal Prep On Fleek possible. All opinions are our own.
Boasting tons of flavor and fun pasta shapes, you’ll love this easy and gluten-free twist on the classic beef lasagna!
There is nothing better than an affordable and easy recipe that is also delicious! That's why we love ground beef so much! It can be used in a variety of ways, is very affordable, can be kept on-hand to pull out of the freezer at any moment, and creates some of the most comforting dishes. Not only will ground beef add a good serving of protein to your dinner or lunch, but it also works at breakfast too! You can season ground beef up just like pork and make a faux sausage to serve alongside eggs, roasted potatoes, and fresh fruit.
The leanness of Ground Beef
You can also find different leanness levels with ground beef. So, if you're looking for something with less fat (or more fat!) there is always an option. The key is knowing how to use each one.
UNDERSTANDING THE GRINDS
When should you use regular ground beef? How can you make juicy burgers from lean ground beef? Ground beef is labeled according to leanness levels, ranging from 70 to 96+ percent lean. Below is a summary of leanness levels and their best uses:
70% LEAN
Ground Beef that is not less than 70% lean (usually a 73/27 or 75/25 lean-to-fat ratio) is used for burgers and in recipes calling for browning (crumbles) and pouring off drippings, such as chili, tacos and spaghetti sauce. When properly cooked, it is moist and juicy.
80-85% LEAN
A mid-range lean-to-fat ratio is a nice option for dishes like meatloaf and meatballs, where you’ll be forming a ball or loaf, but you’ll be cooking in a pan or skillet. When properly cooked, it is moist and juicy and has a slightly firm texture.
93% LEAN
Ground Beef that is 93% lean or leaner meets government guidelines for “lean.” If you’re trying to choose lean meats, this is an excellent choice for you. It works well in dishes that require crumbles, like meat sauce, tacos, stuffed peppers or casseroles where draining fat might be difficult.
No matter which grade of leanness you go with, you are bound to have a flavorful and protein-packed meal prep ready for you and/or your family any day of the week! Oh, and don't forget affordable!
How long will Beef Lasagna Casserole last for?
When properly stored in a tightly sealed plastic or glass container, your beef lasagna casserole will last for 5 days in the refrigerator.
Can Beef Lasagna Casserole be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze this easy dinner idea for up to 3 months. To freeze leftovers, let the casserole cool to room temperature. Then place it into your refrigerator for 1 hour so the pasta, cheese, and beef can settle. Remove your cooled casserole from the fridge and cut it into sections. Wrap the sections with cling wrap and store in the freezer. When you're ready to eat the lasagna, remove from the freezer and reheat in the microwave or oven.
Beef Lasagna Casserole Ingredients:
- ¾ lb. Ground Beef, 96% lean
- 8 oz. Cavatappi Chickpea Pasta
- 1 (25 oz.) Jarred Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
- 4 cups Arugula
- 1 cup Chopped Fresh Spinach
- ⅔ cup Ricotta, skim/low-fat milk-based
- ⅔ cup Shredded Mozzarella
- ¼ cup Grated Parmesan
Salad Ingredients
- ¼ cup Tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup Cucumber, sliced
- 2 Tbsp. Red Onion, sliced
- 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. Avocado Oil
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, roughly chopped
- ½ tsp. Himalayan Pink Salt
- 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
To make both the ground beef lasagna casserole and salad you need only a few ingredients, most of which you probably have on-hand!
How do you make Beef Lasagna Casserole?
Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and heating a sauté pan over medium heat with avocado oil. Add ground beef, salt, and pepper to the pan and brown the beef. Remove the ground beef from heat and drain the fat. Return the meat to the skillet and heat and stir in pasta sauce. Next, you need to boil your chickpea pasta, drain it, and set it aside. Now it's time to assemble lasagna. You're halfway done!
Grab an 8x8 baking dish to bake the casserole in.Spoon one-third of your pasta sauce in the dish, making an even layer. Add half of your pasta, another layer of sauce, cheese, and spinach. Spoon and spread some more pasta sauce over noodles, then layer an even portion of all three kinds of cheese, half of the beef, as well as half the spinach. Repeat layering process until pasta, cheeses, pasta sauce, beef, and spinach is used up. Tip: Cover the top (final) layer with the cheeses to help prevent drying out.
How to portion Beef Lasagna Casserole?
Cut your beef lasagna casserole into fourths. Find 4 dual-compartment meal prep containers and put one lasagna square into each container. Divide your salad into each container, placing it in the smaller compartment. Put your plastic cup of salad dressing with the lasagna portion.
The result is a cozy, cheesy, protein-packed dish that works for lunch or dinner. Or, if you're into leftovers for breakfast like we are, then enjoying this at breakfast!
More casserole meal prep recipes:
We appreciate casserole dishes because they're versatile and filling, making meal prep easy and exciting. Here are more casserole dishes for you to freeze and store away for easy and cook-free meal prepping!
Loaded Sausage and Bacon Breakfast Casserole
Whole30 Baked Buffalo Chicken Casserole
Mexican Whole Grain Rice & Quinoa Casserole Meal Prep
Vegan Butternut Squash Casserole Meal Prep
Broccoli Lentil Quinoa Casserole
Sausage Lover's Hashbrown Casserole
Sausage and Egg Breakfast Bake
There's more here, too! 21 Amazing Low Calorie Casserole Recipes
Lunch never looked so good!
Other tips for making Beef Lasagna Casserole:
If you're looking to save more time on cooking, skip boiling the pasta. Brown the beef, add sauce, and layer. The pasta will cook as the casserole bakes in the oven. Just be sure to use plenty of sauce so the pasta cooks thoroughly.
Switch the meat flavors up by adding chicken, turkey, or pork to the ground beef. Crumbled sausage works very well with the ground beef for a meat sauce.
Use cottage cheese for additional creaminess.
Top your beef lasagna casserole with lots of cheese to prevent the casserole from drying out.
Visit www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com for more recipes and easy meal prep inspiration!
Ingredients
- ¾ lb. Ground Beef 96% lean
- 8 oz. Cavatappi Chickpea Pasta
- 25 ounces Jarred Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce
- 4 cups Arugula
- 1 cup Chopped Fresh Spinach
- ⅔ cup Ricotta skim/low-fat milk based
- ⅔ cup Shredded Mozzarella
- ¼ cup Grated Parmesan
Salad
- ¼ cup Tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup Cucumber sliced
- 2 Tbsp. Red Onion sliced
- 2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. Avocado Oil
- 1 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley roughly chopped
- ½ tsp. Himalayan Pink Salt
- 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat, then add avocado oil and then beef. Cook beef until done
- Next, add to the prepped pan ground beef, salt, and pepper. Stir and let cook until browned then remove from heat and set aside.
- Boil pasta then drain (don’t rinse) and set aside.
- Now, spoon ⅓ of pasta sauce into 8”x8” baking dish, making a thin/even layer of sauce.
- Evenly spread half of the pasta over top of the sauce layer.
- Spoon and spread some more pasta sauce over noodles, then layer an even portion of all three kinds of cheese, as well as half the spinach. Repeat layering process until pasta, cheeses, pasta sauce, and spinach is used up. Tip: Cover the top (final) layer with the cheeses to help prevent drying out.
- Place in oven, on the middle rack - bake for 20 minutes then transfer to upper rack.
- While the lasagna bakes assemble side salad (combining arugula, cucumber, tomatoes, onion). In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and red wine vinegar until homogeneous. Set aside.
- Next, turn on the oven broiler. Transfer lasagna to upper rack and let broil for 3-5 minutes or until top layer of cheese is lightly browned.
- Serve, store, and enjoy!
I couldn't find when to add the parsley
We just added it to the salad ingredients. 🙂