AB’s Southern-Style Meat Lovers Lasagna

A slice of cheesy, baked Southern-style meat lovers lasagna with savory meat sauce is served on a white plate, garnished with chopped herbs. A casserole dish with more lasagna is in the background.

5 from 1 vote

A rich, cheesy lasagna layered with seasoned ground beef, smoked sausage, thick homemade tomato sauce, creamy ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and sharp cheddar.

Prep Time35

Cook Time1 35

Resting Time25

Total Time2 35

Servings: servings

Equipment

Deep 9×13-inch baking dish, ideally about 3 inches deep
Large skillet or Dutch oven
Large pot and colander
Medium mixing bowl
Sheet pan or parchment paper for the noodles
Aluminum foil
Rimmed baking sheet to catch drips

Ingredients

Meat Sauce

1½ pounds ground beef 80/20 preferred
12 ounces fully cooked smoked sausage or andouille diced or thinly sliced into half-moons
1 medium yellow onion diced
1 green bell pepper diced
4 cloves garlic minced
Up to 2 tablespoons olive oil only if needed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
1 can 15 ounces tomato sauce
1 can 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon AB’s SPG Seasoning divided; use the final teaspoon to taste
2 teaspoons AB’s Steak & Burger Seasoning
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ cup beef broth
Salt and black pepper only as needed

Ricotta Filling

15 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon AB’s SPG Seasoning
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Assembly

12 regular lasagna noodles cooked as directed below
3 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Oil or cooking spray for lightly greasing the dish and preventing sticking

Instructions

Prepare the oven and dish. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a deep 9×13-inch baking dish. Set a rimmed baking sheet aside to place beneath the dish during baking.
Brown the sausage. Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the smoked sausage and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon. Leave approximately 1 tablespoon of rendered fat in the pan. Add a little olive oil only if the pan is dry.
Brown the beef. Add the ground beef, 2 teaspoons of the SPG, the Steak & Burger Seasoning, and smoked paprika. Cook for approximately 7–9 minutes, breaking the meat into medium-sized crumbles, until it reaches 160°F. Drain excess grease, leaving a little in the pan.
Cook the vegetables. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook for 4–5 minutes until beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30–60 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes.
Simmer the sauce. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, drained diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, broth, Italian seasoning, basil, optional red pepper flakes, and brown sugar. Return the sausage to the pan. Bring to a light simmer, reduce the heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick but spreadable. Taste and add some or all of the remaining 1 teaspoon SPG as needed. Add salt or black pepper only if needed.
Cook the noodles. While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles 1–2 minutes less than the package directions, until just shy of al dente. Drain well and lay flat on a lightly oiled sheet pan or parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Mix the ricotta filling. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, ½ cup Parmesan, parsley, ½ teaspoon SPG, and ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Mix until evenly combined. Divide into three portions.
Portion the sauce and assembly cheeses. Spread 1 cup of meat sauce over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Divide the remaining sauce into four roughly equal portions. Keep the assembly cheeses separate from the cheese already mixed into the ricotta. Each of the four cheese layers will use ¾ cup mozzarella, ¼ cup cheddar, and ¼ cup Parmesan.
Build the first three layers. Lay 3 noodles over the sauce, trimming to fit if needed. Spread with one-third of the ricotta filling, one portion of meat sauce, ¾ cup mozzarella, ¼ cup cheddar, and ¼ cup Parmesan. Repeat this sequence twice more, using a total of 9 noodles and all the ricotta filling.
Finish the top. Add the last 3 noodles. Cover with the final portion of meat sauce, spreading it over all exposed noodles. Top with the remaining ¾ cup mozzarella, ¼ cup cheddar, and ¼ cup Parmesan. Leave room at the top of the dish for bubbling; use a second small dish for any overflow ingredients.
Bake covered, then uncovered. Loosely cover with foil, lightly greasing the underside if needed to keep the cheese from sticking. Place the dish on the rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 20–25 minutes, until bubbling around the edges, hot in the center, and lightly browned on top. The center should reach 165°F. If desired, broil for 1–2 minutes in a broiler-safe dish, watching closely.
Rest and serve. Let the lasagna rest for 20–25 minutes before slicing. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and serve.

Video

Notes

Keep the ricotta-filling cheeses separate from the assembly cheeses before building the layers.
Simmer the meat sauce until thick but spreadable so the finished lasagna does not turn watery.
Check the center for 165°F, then rest for 20–25 minutes before slicing.

Estimated per one-twelfth recipe using regular noodles at 300 g dry total and whole-milk cheeses. All meat fat and the full canned tomato amount are conservatively counted before draining; optional oil, garnishes and extra seasonings are excluded. Sodium is not reported because the specified AB seasoning labels could not be verified; their small contribution to the other estimates is excluded.

Nutrition