Are you a lasagna lover like I am? This Easy Keto Meat Lasagna will surely satisfy your love for lasagna and also satisfy your entire family! I will even say that it tastes better than the “real thing”!
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Keto Meat Lasagna
Pre keto (and pre gluten-free) I used to love lasagna. it was a comfort food for me. When I went gluten-free I stopped eating lasagna altogether. I don't know if it is because I couldn't find a suitable gluten-free noodle replacement or just didn't take the time to find one.
In either case, it had been a few years since I've enjoyed a good lasagna.
When I came across the idea of making noodles from cheese, I really wasn't impressed. I made lasagna from The Craveable Keto cookbook and I was blown away. It was AMAZING! That recipe is what inspired this one, a YEAR later!
It took me about a YEAR to make my own lasagna recipe, but it never would have happened without the initial inspiration. If you don't own that cookbook, go buy it! It's AWESOME!
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This is a little more time intensive than some of my other recipes, but as usual, it is more than worth it. So set aside about 90 minutes and get to work!
I plan to make several batches soon and freeze them so that I can easily pull them out of the freezer, thaw out and cook for a delicious and hassle-free dinner!
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What are keto lasagna noodles made of?
These ones are based on Fat Head Pizza Dough recipe. Other recipes use zucchini noodles as well. There are a ton of options. I personally think the cheese-based ones have the closest consistency to regular lasagna noodles.
How to make keto lasagna
We won't walk through the whole recipe, but I'll give you some tips!
First, you might be thinking - how in the world can a cheese-based product double as a noodle? I definitely asked myself that same question.
I took my pizza crust recipe that was based on the Fat Head Pizza Dough recipe and modified it to make the noddle. First, the flour had to go. I mean, we don't want a crust, we want a noddle! A few other tweaks and this beauty was born!
This is what the keto meat lasagna "noodle" layers will look before it is cooked.
Once cooked, you simply slice this into pieces that you will then use to layer the lasagna.
Now, in the recipe when I mention cutting these noodle layers into an 8x8 and 8x4, you simply need to make one cut (below right), unless it is too big in which case you need to trim off the end (below left).
Additionally, you might have to trim the edges a bit more as you try to place it in the dish!
Now let's take a peek at assembling each layer. I went old school and modeled this after our family lasagna recipe!
The first layer is the noodle:
Next comes ricotta cheese. It is SO easy to spread:
Third, we put the meat sauce:
And finally comes the Mozzarella cheese. Now we repeat these steps (mostly) 3 more times. The finally layers is a bit different, but the instructions below will explain that!
Literally, these are the exact steps of how I used to make my lasagna years and years ago.
Just look at this almost overflowing beauty of a lasagna once all the layers are in place !!!
Just about ready to take out of the oven. Perfectly baked. 20 minutes at 350 and 10 minutes at 375.
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Can you prepare this keto meat lasagna ahead of time!
You bet! There is no need to prepare it and cook it at the same time! Keep on reading for additional cook time suggestions!
Do you need to cover lasagna when baking it?
The answer to that depends. You do not need to cover this while baking since the initial temperature is only 350 and it is only at 375 for a short time.
Now, if you were to prepare the lasagna ahead of time and not cook it, then you'll need to cook it much longer in which case I'd probably cover it for 35-40 minutes at 350 and then uncover for 10 minutes at 375.
Kitchen Essentials
Baking Dish You will need a deeper 8x8 baking dish! Glass or ceramic will do just fine. If it is not a deep dish, no worries, just set the dish on a baking sheet in case it spills over while baking! This type of baking dish will work just fine too, just set it on a tray!
Baking Sheet Any old baking sheet will do times TWO! I happen to love my ceramic ones!
Parchment paper - Even though my pictures show the white parchment paper, I have since switched over to the nonbleached parchment paper like this one.
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Are you in awe yet? Look how thick this delicious keto lasagna is? The layers and layers and layers!
Keto Marinara Sauce
This sauce can actually be a standalone sauce and is more or less what I use for my keto pizza recipe. A little different (thicker) but the same idea. It works amazing as a marinara sauce, pizza sauce, keto flatbread sauce- you name it!
Pro tip - double or triple the batch and save some!
Special Notes
If you have a large family as I do, you will have to double the recipe! An 8x8 is just not enough to feed my family of 7 when I have FOUR hungry teenagers!
So, I double it!
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Keto Deep Dish Meat Lasagna
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 14.5 ounce can Rotel
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3/4 cup - 1 cup water (your preference on consistency)
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Noodles
- 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
The Rest
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground sausage
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, divided
Instructions
Sauce
- Add Rotel, tomato sauce and tomato paste to a food processor. Blend for 15 seconds to get rid of chunks.
- Add tomato mixture, water, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to a medium sauce pan.
- Mix well and simmer for 15-20 minutes (or however long you want/need).
- Set aside when done
Noodles
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 13x9 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Melt Mozzarella cheese and cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl.
- In a small bowl, add eggs and Italian seasoning. Beat with a fork.
- Add egg mixture to cheese mixture.
- With CLEAN hands, continually squish the dough between your fingers until WELL blended. Don't worry - it will get there!
- Split dough into 2 equal parts.
- On each prepared baking sheet, spread mixture out to approximately 12x8. Meaning, you don't need to go all the way to the edges.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly golden brown.
- Let cool for about 10 minute and then cut each sheet into 8x8 and 8x4 chunks. So you'll just make one cut around the 4 inch mark and that will make the 2 perfect size sheets. You may end up trimming the edges when it is time to put it in the baking dish. I always do!
- Set aside when done.
Meat Mixture
- In a large pan, combine the ground beef, ground sausage, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cook over medium-high heat until meat is fully cooked.
- Drain excess grease and add 2 cups (not the whole batch) of marinara sauce to the pan with meat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Save the remaining sauce.
Putting it all together
- Spray a deep dish 8x8 baking dish with Avocado oil or olive oil.
- Place the first noodle in the dish. Use one of the larger 8x8 pieces.
- On top of the noodle layer, add 1/3 cup ricotta cheese and spread evenly.
- Then layer 1/3 of the meat sauce, followed by 1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese.
- Next place the 2 noodles that are 8x4 side by side and repeat the exact layers (noodle, ricotta, meat layer, Mozzarella).
- Finally place the remaining noodle, add ricotta and meat sauce.
- Add remaining sauce on top of meat layer.
- Finally top with last 1/2 cup of Mozzarella cheese.
- Sprinkle with oregano (if desired).
- Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, then raise temperature to 375 and bake for 10 more minutes.
- Let sit for a few minutes before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
9Serving Size:
1 slizeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 577Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 214mgSodium: 1085mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 5gProtein: 38g
Nutrition is calculated using a third party plug-in. It is best to always validate!
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What are the serving size and nutrition info?
I don’t post nutritional information because ingredients and brands made a huge difference in calculations. I am strict keto though, so I only post recipes that I eat!
This is my favorite recipe and I’ve made it several times!!
Yeah!!! I’ve often wanted to make several and freeze them!
This is fabulous!!
What can I use in place of Ricotta? My son is allergic to Riciotta and Cottage Cheese.
I wish I could give you a substitution but those two are the main ones that can be substituted for each other. I’m not sure what else could be put in their place 🙁
Your lasagna noodles are the best I have made- I make them weekly for various lasagna dishes ! I love that the are not crunchy but more like a soft noodle . Thank you!
So glad to hear!!
Hi! I’m so excited to try this tonight but let’s just (hypothetically) 😉 day that ones noodles are super duper runny. Maybe melted cheese too long? Any ideas?
The batter for the noodles will actually be runnier than you might expect. It is not like fathead dough like many people are expecting it to be like!
Can you tell us how many this serves? Since it’s a loaf pan.. I’m thinking maybe 6, but not sure? I’ll enter all ingredients myself into my Keto app and figure out nutrition but I wonder how many servings you get from this?
It will serve at least 4-6 depending on how much people want to eat!
I just made the lasagna. I love it and am blown away that there are no noodles in here!
I know!! It is so good!
Is this freezable… can I make one for now and one for later at the same time?
I don’t see why not! I freeze meals ALL the time and then reheat them later.
It is sooo yummy. Having left over now and it is still very yummy.
I am new at Keto and finding it complcated to figure out the nutrition value
of recipies and to enter it in the app…any tips.
MyFitnessPal and Carb Manager are great apps to use for figuring out nutritional value!
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Just wanted to say Thank You for this recipe! My family loves this lasagna and I say it is the best lasagna I’ve ever had, restaurant or home, without the guilt, Truly is the best!
Yeah!!! My family loves it too!!
Why do the instructions say to prep a 9 x 13 pan?
That is what you bake the “noodles” in! The final product is the size of the 8.x x 4.5 pan, but you have to cook the “noodles” first. If you read just a little further, it should explain!
Made this tonight! Only I made two batches of the “noodles” (big family). Let me just say it was a major hit. My husband is a little uneasy about some of the keto recipes I make but really enjoyed this dish!
I have to make 2 batches as well since we are a family of 7 (3 of whom are teenage boys)! So glad you enjoyed it!
Oh. My. I would submit a picture but there’s none left… This was amazing. I have to say that the instructions were a little bit confusing to me until I read the comments saying that the noodles are baked in a 13 x 9 but the whole thing is baked in a loaf pan. Thank you so much for a great dish!
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The noodle recipe did not look right, too soupy. It is missing some kind of flour. I looked up the Fat Head dough & it has almond flour. I added 2 cups to the noodle recipe & it turned out fine but had I not done that, would have been a disaster.
This is most certainly NOT fathead dough. It is supposed to be somewhat soupy! It comes together the more you work it through your hands. BUT it is quite liquidy when you lay it on the sheet compared to fathead dough. That is how it is supposed to be. It bakes and turns out beautifully!
OK, thanks! I’ll give it another try.
My noodles are sticking to the parchment paper. Any suggestions?
Some things stick and some things don’t and sometimes we can’t always predict it, right? BUT if you find things are sticking, you can spray it with something like avocado oil spray and this should prevent it from sticking in the future!
This is truly amazing!! Taste just like real “guilty” lasagne without all the carbs!! My family loves this!! Thank you!!
You are most welcome!
Your sauce recipe ingredient list calls for Rotel tomatoes but your directions say Fire Roasted tomatoes. In my area, Rotel doesn’t make Fire Roasted tomatoes. Should I get Rotel or a can of Fire Roasted tomatoes?
Sorry about that! I’ve gone back and forth on these! You can actually use either one. I made the sauce yesterday and used fire roasted and I made the lasagna (with the sauce) last week and used Rotel. I have updated the instructions to Rotel, but you can use either!
Hoooollllyyyyyy mooolllleeyyyy this was absolutely amazing. I did cheat a bit and used a keto friendly commercial sauce but WOW!!!! I also used fresh sliced mozzerella. Thank you thank you!!!
I’ve done that too! Whatever works sometimes, right? So glad you liked the lasagna!
Rachel Kolodziej, try mascarpone. It’s a bit thicker than ricotta but just as yummy!!!!! Acts like ricotta too
Yummy! I doubled the recipe, next time I will make my “noodles” thinner. I don’t particularly like eggs so making them to thick can be a weird texture. Everyone loved it!
Thanks
Loved this thanks for sharing.
How many cups of red sauce does this recipe make? Thank you!
I’m not sure! I don’t think I’ve ever measured it. Next time I make the lasagna, I will measure it.
Oh my goodness! Made this for family for Sunday lunch, and it was a hit! I was concerned that the “noodles” would be too heavy, but they really compliment the lasagne nicely. Will make this frequently.
Yeah!!! Thanks so much for sharing!
This was fantastic I tweaked the sauce and ricotta mixture a little but those noodles are the closest thing I have tried so far! Thank you 😊
Made this last night and really enjoyed it. I did not have a deep dish 8×8 so I used a regular 9 x 13 and made two layers, just didn’t cut the noodles. Worked great and was very good! I think next time I’ll make the two 4×8 so I can freeze one!
OMG! This was awesome! I used a cookie sheet to make my cheese “noodles”. I also weNt with Prego no sugar added traditional sauce, but we LOVED it! So glad I found your recipe! I’ll share!
Thank you!
I expected this to be sub-par like most low carb recipes. I’m Italian, I’m picky and have missing carbs terribly. This was phenomenal!