My Egg Noodle Lasagna recipe is a real family pleaser with layers and layers of meat sauce, cheesy filling, and egg noodles.
We all have certain recipes that are just “special,” don’t we? They’re the ones that bring back fond memories of people who dwell in a special place in your heart. This is one of those really, really special recipes.
This recipe wasn’t always called Egg Noodle Lasagna. For years, it didn’t even have a name. It was just my friend Judy’s lasagna recipe.
Judy and I used to cook together all the time. There wasn’t a whole lot to do in our little hometown, and she was the most adventurous cook I knew back in those days of the mid-80s. Any time we were getting a large group of people together for dinner, Judy would make her “army lasagna” because it quite literally would feed an army. And everybody loved it!
This was way back in the days before the internet, when people actually wrote down recipes on little cards and kept them in a box. I know… quaint, right? This is a photo of my actual handwritten copy of this recipe from way back. As you can see, we didn’t go in for a lot of recipe instructions in those days 😊 so I’ve tried to expand and explain a bit more for you.
Judy was the matron of honor at mine and BeeBop’s wedding. She’s been gone from this world for years now, but I still think of her often and hope she has a top-of-the-line stove and fully equipped kitchen wherever she is.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Stovetop & Oven
Total Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes
Servings: 16
Primary Ingredient(s): Ground Beef, Canned Tomatoes, Egg Noodles, Eggs, Cottage Cheese, Parmesan, Cheddar, Mozzarella
Skill Level: Easy
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- No fancy ingredients! You’ll find everything you need at your nearest grocery store, whether you live in a big city or in the middle of the country.
- Familiar flavors. This recipe has all the mouth-watering flavors of tomatoes, cheese, and noodles with garlic and basil.
- Really cheesy! Who doesn’t love a dish just oozing with cheese?!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
“Made it for Sunday. Everyone loved it. No leftovers (people either ate or took it home).”
— Marta
Ingredient Notes
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- Ground Beef – I prefer 80/20 ground beef for the best flavor. A little fat goes a long way here, where the super lean beef just doesn’t give you the rich taste that makes this dish so satisfying.
- Garlic powder, parsley flakes, dried basil – Dried herbs work better than fresh in this recipe. They hold up beautifully during the long simmer and distribute evenly throughout the sauce.
- Canned tomatoes (with juice) – Don’t drain the tomatoes! You’ll need the juice as part of the sauce. I prefer whole canned tomatoes that I crush by hand for better texture.
- Egg noodles – This is what makes Judy’s lasagna different! Wide egg noodles instead of lasagna sheets give you a tender texture that soaks up all the flavors.
- Cottage cheese – Full-fat cottage cheese has a creamy, slightly tangy flavor that makes this dish so, so good!
- Eggs – The eggs bind the cottage cheese mixture so it doesn’t get watery.
- Parmesan cheese – Any brand of inexpensive Parm works perfectly here! This is comfort food, not fancy cuisine.
- Cheddar cheese – Sharp cheddar gives you the bold flavor you need. I prefer hand-grating.
- Mozzarella cheese – For that perfect, melty stretch! Part-skim works great, and pre-shredded melts just as well as block cheese for this recipe.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How I Make Egg Noodle Lasagna
Make the Meat Sauce
- Place a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil and the ground beef. Cook, stirring frequently, breaking up the ground beef as you cook.
- When the ground beef is completely browned (no pink color remains), drain it in a colander set into a plate lined with paper towels. Return the drained ground beef to the pan and discard the fat.
- Add the garlic powder, parsley flakes, dried basil, salt, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste to the browned ground beef.
- Bring the mixture to a bubble over medium-high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, uncovered, for one hour.
Cook the Noodles
- When the sauce is nearing the end of the cooking time, cook and drain the egg noodles according to the directions on their package.
Make the Filling
- In a medium bowl, add the cottage cheese, beaten eggs, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Stir well to thoroughly combine. A tip about the Parmesan: it is not necessary to use an expensive block of Parmigiano Reggiano for this recipe. This is not fancy food. The green box Parm goes really well here :-)
Grate (or not) the Cheese
👉 PRO TIP: I just wanted to give you a note about the cheeses. Feel free to use the packaged pre-shredded cheese if you’d like. For some reason, I just prefer to hand grate my Cheddar and don’t care either way about the mozzarella. But rest assured, the shredded works just fine for this recipe.
Preheat the Oven
Before you start assembling the lasagna, go ahead and preheat the oven to 375°F.
Assemble the Lasagna
- Now, this recipe makes a lot. If you’re cooking this for a crowd, you can use one very large 10×15 baking dish. If you’re cooking for your family, I’d advise you to divide it into two pans – one 9×13 pan and one 9×9 pan. Make two layers in each pan in this order — half each of the noodles, meat sauce, filling, cheddar, and mozzarella. Repeat with a second layer of each in the same order.
Bake
- Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes or until bubbly and hot throughout.
Increasing the Recipe
Cooking for a youth group? Kids love this recipe! You can easily double or even triple this recipe to feed a really huge crowd.
Storing Leftovers
Yes, you’re going to have leftovers. I’ve never made this recipe, no matter how large the crowd, that I didn’t have leftovers. That’s a really good thing! Any leftovers of this Egg Noodle Lasagna can be wrapped well and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. To freeze, place in a freezer container or wrap well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months. To use from frozen, allow the lasagna to thaw, then reheat at 350°F for about 30 minutes.
Spice it Up!
Try adding a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the meat sauce to make it nice and spicy! Or substitute half the ground beef for hot Italian sausage.
How to Serve
All you need with this lasagna is a big tossed salad and some bread. My Cheesy Onion and Herb Bread is really great with it.
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
Thank you for stopping by. It means a lot to have you here.
Recipe
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Egg Noodle Lasagna
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 ¼ pounds ground beef
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups canned tomatoes with juice
- 6 ounces tomato paste
————
- 12 ounces egg noodles
————
For the Filling:
- 24 ounces cottage cheese
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons parsley flakes
- 1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese grated
- 1 pound Mozzarella cheese grated
Instructions
Make the Meat Sauce:
- Place a large skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. Add the canola oil and ground beef. Cook, stirring frequently, until the beef is completely browned.1 tablespoon canola oil, 2 ¼ pounds ground beef
- Drain the beef in a colander over a plate lined with paper towels. Discard the fat and return the ground beef to the pan.
- Add the garlic powder, parsley flakes, dried basil, salt, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste.2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 tablespoon parsley flakes, 1 tablespoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 ½ cups canned tomatoes, 6 ounces tomato paste
- Bring to a bubble over medium high heat.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce, uncovered, for one hour.
Cook the Noodles:
- When the sauce is nearing the end of the cooking time, cook the egg noodles according to the package directions. Drain the noodles and set aside.12 ounces egg noodles
Mix the Filling:
- In a medium bowl, add the cottage cheese, beaten eggs, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Stir well to thoroughly combine.24 ounces cottage cheese, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, ½ cup Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons parsley flakes
Assemble the Lasagna:
- Use either one large 10×15 baking dish, or one 9×13 pan and one 9×9 pan. Make two layers starting with half each of the noodles, meat sauce, filling, cheddar, and mozzarella. Repeat with a second layer of each.1 pound sharp Cheddar cheese, 1 pound Mozzarella cheese
Bake:
- Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly and hot throughout.
Notes
- You can easily double or even triple this recipe to feed a really huge crowd.
- Any leftovers may be wrapped well and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- To freeze, place in a freezer container or wrap well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months. To use from frozen, allow the lasagna to thaw and then reheat at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This recipe was originally published on September 14, 2020. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
I’m Lana Stuart, an award-winning cookbook author, food blogger, and lifelong cook raised deep in Southwest Georgia. I started Lana’s Cooking in 2009 to share the tried-and-true recipes I grew up with. Around here, the food is full of flavor, the traditions run deep, and there’s always room at the table.
Made it for Sunday. Everyone love it. No leftovers (people either ate or took it home). Very good. Hope I can make it again soon.
That’s so nice to hear, Marta! I’m so pleased that you all enjoyed it!
I love those recipes that feed lots of folks! Handy to have in your arsenal. And, your handwriting has always been a thing of beauty. Just like you.
❤️