Sour Cream Lasagna
Looking for lasagna without ricotta? This creamy sour cream lasagna is layered with hearty meat sauce and a rich cheese filling. A comforting baked pasta dish everyone will love.
This Sour Cream Lasagna is the definition of comfort food. Each layer is filled with ground beef, Italian sausage, rich pasta sauce, and a creamy sour cream cheese filling. While it does take a little time to assemble, it is very easy to make and so worth the time.
This recipe reminds me of the version my husband's grandmother used to make. She skipped the ricotta-no grainy texture, just layers of meat, sauce, and lots of melted cheese.
If you enjoy lasagna style recipes make sure to try my Zucchini and Cheese Lasagna Roll Ups, or this Mexican Lasagna - a long time family favorite. If you really want to be lazy, my Mom's Lazy Lasagna is practically an heirloom in our family recipe book. So quick and easy!
Watch Me Make It
Ingredients You Need
- Ground beef for that classic, meaty flavor.
- Mild Italian sausage offers additional flavor and meatiness.
- Onions and garlic
- Pasta sauce- This can be homemade or your favorite brand. RAO'S Vodka pasta sauce is slightly creamy with fantastic flavor.
- Dried herbs include oregano and parsley.
- Spinach is optional but I like to sneak in veggies where I can and spinach is an easy one - no prep required.
- Sour cream cheese sauce ingredients include- Full-fat sour cream, parmesan cheese, mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and green olives.
Important Tip
Allow the lasagna to rest for at least 20 minutes after baking before slicing so it sets properly. Cutting into it too soon can cause it to fall apart.
How To Make Sour Cream Lasagna
- Cook ground beef and sausage in a skillet with onions and garlic, then stir in pasta sauce, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer until thick.
- Combine sour cream cheese sauce in a mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add spinach to the thickened meat sauce and simmer a few more minutes.
- Layer lasagna by adding a spoon full of meat sauce to the bottom of your baking dish. Layer with three cooked lasagna noodles, ⅓ meat sauce, and ⅓ sour cream cheese sauce. Repeat layers two more times ending with lasagna noodles and mozzarella cheese.
- Bake lasagna covered, at 375℉ for 20-minutes, then uncover for an additional 15-minutes. Allow to rest 20-minutes before slicing.
Ang's Helpful Tips
- Use full-fat sour cream. This is not a time to cut calories. The additional fat helps the sauce set, otherwise it may be runny.
- Quality pasta sauce is key for the best results. You don't have to spend a lot to get great flavor. Here are some of my favorite brands: Newman's own, Trader Joe's (tomato basil) Bertolli, Classico, and Mezzetta.
- Thick meat sauce is important so it holds up well in between the layers. Simmer until thick, about the consistency of sloppy Joes.
Frequent Questions
Yes! This is a great recipe to make one day in advance and bake off the following day. Just be sure to let it set at room temperature so you don't have to add much baking time.
Yes. You can freeze baked or unbaked, just make sure it is completely cooled before sealing and freezing. Freeze up to 3 months, thaw completely and bake as directed, adding additional time if needed.
Ways to serve lasagna
Lasagna is always great with a side salad and garlic bread. Here are suggestions for a complete and delicious Italiano meal.
- Copycat Olive Garden Salad
- Crunchy Lemon Parmesan Salad
- Greens with Homemade Vinaigrette
- English Muffin Garlic Bread
- Crispy Parmesan Cheese Toast
- Cheesy Olive Bread
Sour Cream Lasagna
Equipment
- large pot
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- medium mixing bowl
- large skillet
Ingredients
Meat sauce
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ¼ lb mild Italian sausage
- ½ cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 32 ounce pasta sauce I use Rao's vodka pasta sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups baby spinach optional
Sour cream sauce
- 16 ounces full-fat sour cream not light
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
- ½ cup green olives, sliced such as Castelvetrono
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
Other ingredients
- 12 lasagna sheets
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
- fresh parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375℉ and spray a 9X13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
- Cook lasagna sheets according to package directions for al dente. Drain and lightly rinse, then lay flat on a sheet pan while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Cook and crumble ground beef and sausage until no longer pink. Remove any excess grease.
- Add onion and garlic to the cooked ground meat and sauté for 3-4 minutes, then stir in pasta sauce, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer until thick, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl combine all the sour cream sauce ingredients.
- Once meat sauce is thickened add spinach, continue to cook another 5-8 minutes so the spinach wilts and any excess liquid is cooked out. Meat sauce should be very thick.
- Spread ½ cup meat sauce in the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Lay down three, cooked lasagna sheets. Spread ⅓ of the meat sauce over noodles, along with ⅓ of the sour cream sauce. Repeat the layers two more times, ending with three lasagna sheets on top. You won't put any sauce on top of the final layer of pasta.
- Sprinkle 8 ounces of mozzarella cheese over the top of the noodles and cover with foil. Bake for 20-minutes, pull off the foil and bake another 15 minutes. To brown up the top, turn the broiler on and broil for about 1-minute. No need to move the pan up.
- Allow lasagna to rest for 20-minutes before slicing into squares. Add fresh parsley to the top if desired and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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