Go creamy with not one, not two, but three cheeses, then meat it up with pork and beef. Before you know it, you’ll have an imposing Three-Cheese Lasagna that is an absolute feast.
There are simple lasagnas—ones that focus on one particular ingredient or type of ingredient, like my Delicious Vegetable Lasagna. There are also lasagna recipes in which the method of cooking is the main attraction, like my Skillet Lasagna. THEN there are lasagnas like the one we’re making today.
It relies on traditional cooking methods (once you’ve assembled it, this lasagna will be oven-bound) and traditional assortment of ingredients (vegetables, meat, pasta, cheese). So what makes it so special? Its scale. There are three types of cheese (Gruyere, Parmesan, cheddar), two types of meat (pork and beef), and an assortment of vegetables, which means you might want to do some upper-body stretching before carrying this lasagna to and from the oven.
The list of ingredients may seem long but their assemblage will take little time and, what’s important, it will be totally worth it once you take your first bite.
Ingredients
The Meat Sauce:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 28 oz. (2 large cans) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tsp Italian herbs
- salt and pepper
The Cheese Sauce:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup Gruyere, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan, shredded
- ½ cup cheddar, shredded
The Lasagna:
- 12 lasagna sheets
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar, shredded
How To Make Three-Cheese Lasagna
The Meat Sauce:
Step 1: Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy-based pot on MED-HIGH. Add the ground pork and beef. Break the meat up with a spoon. Cook for 10–15 minutes, until it is browned.
Step 2: Remove the meat from the pot. Drizzle in the rest of the olive oil. Add in the chopped onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 5–8 minutes.
Step 3: Return the meat to the pot along with the tomato paste, crushed tomato, beef stock, Italian herbs, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir it all together. Cover it with the lid, and bring to a boil. Once the pot is boiling, turn down the heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes.
The Cheese Sauce:
Step 1: When there’s 15 minutes left for the meat, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a non-stick skillet or a saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour until the mix becomes slurry smooth. Reduce the heat to LOW. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking as you go until the sauce thickens.
Step 2: Add the shredded Gruyere, Parmesan, and cheddar and whisk. Remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside.
The Lasagna:
Step 1: In a large casserole dish, spoon in a layer of the meat sauce. Cover completely in a single layer of lasagna sheets. Spoon on a layer of cheese sauce. Repeat this to make 3 layers or all ingredients have been used.
Step 2: Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese. Place the lasagna in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
Top Tips For a Perfect Three-Cheese Lasagna
- Set the oven to BROIL for the last couple minutes to make a nice crisp, brown crust out of the cheese on top.
- Use freshly grated cheeses, as they taste better than the packaged variety.
- Taste your sauces before adding them to the lasagna to ensure you’ve got the balance right.
- Sprinkle some basil or parsley atop the baked lasagna for freshness and color.
- Let the layers set by putting the lasagna aside for 15 minutes after cooking. This will make it easier to cut and serve.
FAQs
There is no need to clean out the pot. Keep all those tasty bits on the bottom and let them contribute to the taste of the sauce.
The cheese on top will start to bubble. You can also use a thermometer. It should have reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
Want to make this a 6-cheese lasagna? Consider ricotta, cottage cheese, and/or mozzarella.
You can switch up the cheese sauce and pasta but you should start at the bottom with a layer of the meat sauce. This prevents anything from sticking to the casserole dish.
If you’re worried about the cheese burning then cover it with foil. I sometimes cover it in foil until it’s cooked then remove the foil and broil the lasagna to crisp and brown the cheese on top.
Depends on which type you bought. You can get dried sheets, which require boiling, or you can use oven-ready sheets, which don’t. If you’re going with the latter, make sure you use enough sauce to hydrate the sheets while baking.
Serving Suggestions
I think I’ve established that THIS lasagna is a meal unto itself. BUT if you are serving a table full and want to add something to complement this dish, you do have options. My Flatbread White Broccoli Pizza is a light Italian dish that will add a crunch to your meal. If you want a simpler bread, use my Simple Challah Bread recipe—it’s no-knead but a necessity! For a lovely veggie side dish, Grilled Asparagus will look nice alongside the lasagna. To keep the Italian theme running into dessert, make my Quick Tiramisu Trifles, made individually, they are cute and delicious.
How to Prep & Store Three-Cheese Lasagna
This lasagna can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for a day or so before putting it in the oven. Once cooked, leftover lasagna can be left to cool completely then stored in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze the lasagna, though I recommend divvying it up into separate containers first. This way, you only need to reheat the amount you want. The lasagna should keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can either let it thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat from frozen in the microwave or oven until it’s cooked through.
Three Cheese Lasagna
Ingredients
The Meat Sauce:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb. ground pork
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 28 oz. crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup beef stock
- 2 tsp Italian herbs
- salt and pepper
The Cheese Sauce:
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup Gruyere shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan shredded
- ½ cup cheddar shredded
The Lasagna:
- 12 lasagna sheets
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar shredded
Instructions
The Meat Sauce:
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy-based pot on MED-HIGH. Add the ground pork and beef. Break the meat up with a spoon. Cook for 10–15 minutes, until it is browned.
- Remove the meat from the pot. Drizzle in the rest of the olive oil. Add in the chopped onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 5–8 minutes.
- Return the meat to the pot along with the tomato paste, crushed tomato, beef stock, Italian herbs, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir it all together. Cover it with the lid, and bring to a boil. Once the pot is boiling, turn down the heat and let it simmer for 45 minutes.
The Cheese Sauce:
- With only 15 minutes left for the meat, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a non-stick skillet or a saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour until the mix becomes slurry smooth. Reduce the heat to LOW. Slowly pour in the milk, whisking as you go until the sauce thickens.
- Add the shredded Gruyere, Parmesan, and cheddar and whisk. Remove the sauce from the heat and set it aside.
The Lasagna:
- In a large casserole dish, spoon in a layer of the meat sauce. Cover completely in a single layer of lasagna sheets. Spoon on a layer of cheese sauce. Repeat this to make 3 layers or all ingredients have been used.
- Sprinkle on the cheddar cheese. Place the lasagna in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
