Lasagna is one of those classic meals that everyone loves to eat anywhere, anytime, any place. As wonderful as lasagna is, it can also be time consuming. This Beef & Four Cheese Lasagna Casserole is one of our family’s favorite meals because it has all of the delicious lasagna taste, but it doesn’t take very long to prepare. This recipe makes 2 casseroles, so you get to put one in the freezer for another day:) Creamy Ricotta, Parmesan, Romano and Mozzarella Cheeses are baked with Fusilli pasta in a tomato meat sauce for a satisfying, comforting meal.
This tasty casserole is sure to be a hit at your dinner table or even at family gatherings. With the holidays just around the corner, it’s nice to have a few meals made ahead of time. If you have out of town guests for a few days, save some time in the kitchen by making this dish and enjoy your company!
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 lbs. ground beef (or sausage if your prefer)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 (16 oz.) package of Fusilli pasta
- 1 (24 oz. ) jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
- 1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 4 eggs
- 4 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Romano cheese, shredded
- 2 (15 oz.) containers Ricotta cheese
- 1 Tbsp. dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Instructions
- Season your beef with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper and 1 tsp. onion powder.
- Brown your meat in a pan and break it up.
- When no pink remains, drain excess fat.
- Cook the Fusilli pasta according to the package directions, drain and set aside.
- Add the spaghetti sauce, crushed tomatoes and basil to the browned meat and stir well.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the Ricotta, 2 cups of the Mozzarella, the Parmesan and Romano cheeses with the eggs, parsley and garlic powder.
- Mix well.
- Line up your ingredients into a little assembly line.
- In (2) 9 x 13 casserole dishes, use a 1/3 of the sauce to cover the bottom of the dishes.
- Add 1/3 of the pasta, and 1/3 of the cheese mixture.
- Repeat layers and top with remaining Mozzarella and sprinkle a little more parsley on top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly.
- Serve warm with a salad and bread.
- (1) Casserole serves 6.
- * To freeze, assemble casserole, cover and store. When ready to eat, defrost in the refrigerator overnight and bake as usual that evening.
This recipe is adapted from Money Saving Mom
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I definitely want to make one of these to have ready to go for those crazy nights! Thanks for sharing at Share Your Stuff Tuesdays this week!
Thank you Emily:) It’s a great freezer friendly meal!
One of my favorite dishes is lasagna, and I love how quickly this is put together!! I’m all about fast dinners!! 🙂
Thanks Jocelyn! Fast, homemade dinners are the best… I am thrilled if I can cut down the prep time and still get rave reviews from my family:)
I, too, don’t make lasagna because it’s so time consuming. This casserole would sure give all of the same yummy flavors without all the work. I love the texture of those spiral noodles better than lasagna noodles and yours looks plenty saucy and cheesy. Yum. I can hardly wait to make it. Would you be willing to share this post and any of your other great recipes at our Making Monday link party? We would love it and think our readers will, too. Thanks. Have a fantastic week. http://www.abrightandbeautifullife.com/making-monday-12/
Thanks for stopping by and for the invite Lori! I will head on over:)
Same what Krista said….I’m too lazy, too! Love the way you made this! I LOVE this kind of pasta. … and the cheeses!
Gloria // Simply Gloria recently posted…Show Stopper Saturday #12 {Soup’s On! Features}
Thanks:) It’s the perfect quick, throw together meal that everyone loves. I guess you can’t go wrong with cheese!
Ok, I admit it. One of the reasons I don’t make lasagna very much is because I’m too lazy. I don’t want to make all the layers and intricately line out the noodles! But I love that with this one you don’t have too, genius!
Krista @ joyfulhealthyeats recently posted…Real Men Cook: Homemade Almond Vanilla Granola
Thanks Krista! Casseroles like this are my favorite because they are so easy:)