If you like classic, comforting and flavorful food, then you have to make my Homemade Baked Lasagna Recipe! A traditional lasagna with meat sauce, noodles and all the cheese!

Grandma’s Easy Lasagna Recipe

If there is one recipe that is near and dear to me when it comes to comfort food, it’s some homemade lasagna. There is something about it that is just so comforting. My Homemade Baked Lasagna Recipe is a simple, easy-to-follow dish that makes the perfect dinnertime meal. This recipe uses easy-to-find to ingredients and simple, uncomplicated steps. This easy homemade lasagna recipe will be a guaranteed hit!

Homemade Baked Lasagna Recipe slice on white plate.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING A HOMEMADE BAKED LASAGNA RECIPE:

I used regular lasagna noodles that need to be cooked for this recipe. You could use oven-ready lasagna noodles if you prefer. Just add about 1/2 cup of water to the sauce mixture before layering.
Ground beef is amazing in this recipe but you can also use Italian sausage or even a mixture of the two together.
Freshly shredded cheese works best as it melts easier when baking. However, you can still use prepackaged shredded cheese.
Some fresh basil is my favorite topping for Baked Lasagna but you can top with parsley if you’d like – or nothing at all!
Make sure that you take the foil off of the lasagna in the last 5 minutes to ensure the cheese gets completely melted.
Note: I do bake this without the cheese on top, this is specifically because I don’t want the cheese to get to hard or overcooked. However, for simplicity sake, you can certainly bake with the cheese on top if you prefer.
You can never go wrong with using fresh garlic. Add in about two teaspoons of minced garlic instead of the garlic powder.

Fork going into slice of Homemade Baked Lasagna Recipe, image with text that says Homemade Baked Pasta.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

ground beef
Italian seasoning
garlic powder
onion powder
pepper
parmesan cheese
marinara sauce
ricotta cheese
egg
mozzarella cheese
lasagna noodles
fresh basil (optional)

Ingredients needed to make Homemade Baked Lasagna Recipe: ground beef, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, parmesan cheese, marinara sauce, ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella cheese, lasagna noodles. — *only one jar of marinara sauce shown here

HOW TO MAKE A HOMEMADE BAKED LASAGNA RECIPE:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat brown the ground beef, breaking it up, until there is no pink left. While it’s browning, season with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Drain off any excess grease.

Take the skillet off the heat, add in ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese and the marinara sauce, set aside.

Ground beef, sauce and parmesan in a skillet.

Stir together until everything is combined.

spaghetti and meat sauce shown mixed together in a large skillet.

In a large bowl, add together the ricotta cheese, egg, 2 cups of the shredded mozzarella, and the remaining parmesan cheese.

Ricotta cheese, egg, parmesan and mozzarella in a white bowl.

Mix this together until everything is smooth and combined.

Mixed up ricotta filling in a white bowl with a blue spatula.

Cook lasagna noodles per the directions on the back of the box. Layout the noodles separately on a sheet tray, spraying the sheets lightly with cooking spray so they don’t stick to each other while you’re waiting to assemble the lasagna.

Cooked lasagna noodles in a criss cross pattern on baking sheet.

To assemble the lasagna, add 1 cup of the sauce to the bottom of the dish, spread it out so it covers the bottom.

Meat sauce added to bottom of a white rectangle baking dish.

Add a layer of 5 lasagna noodles on top, you may need to cut one along the shorter end to fit.

Lasagna noodles added on top of meat sauce in baking dish.

Top with ⅓ of the cheese mixture, smooth it out evenly.

Ricotta mixture spread over lasagna noodles.

Add another 1 cup of sauce. Repeat with the noodles and remaining steps two more times. Top with the remaining 5 lasagna noodles and the rest of the sauce.

Meat sauce spread evenly on top of lasagna noodles.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes until bubbly. Take off the foil and add the remaining 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Place back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted on top. Let cool slightly for about 15 minutes on the countertop to cool slightly, this will help the lasagna to set up and make it easier to slice and serve.

Finished baked lasagna topped with basil close up in pan.

Serve with a garnish of fresh basil, optional.

Piece of Homemade Baked Lasagna being lifted out of baking dish.

HOW TO STORE:

This Baked Lasagna Recipe will last up to 3-5 days stored in the refrigerator when wrapped in plastic wrap in the baking dish or stored in an airtight container.
You can reheat the lasagna in the microwave until heated through.
This can also be frozen (both baked and unbaked.) To freeze after baked: place in an airtight container or tightly wrap your baking dish in plastic wrap and foil and it should last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
To reheat your frozen lasagna, place in refrigerator overnight and then reheat in microwave until heated through.
To freeze unbaked lasagna: assemble the lasagna per above directions. Let any hot ingredients cool down then wrap everything tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. This should last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
To bake frozen lasagna place in your refrigerator and let defrost over night then bake according to recipe directions.