I just had another piece of this Cheesy Keto Lasagna Loaf, and man is it satisfying to someone who has basically given up bread, probably for the rest of her life. This Lasagna Loaf stays together better than your typical “noodle” lasagna because it’s sturdier and less slippery than the carb-filled pasta used in most lasagna recipes. My life just changed!! Actually, I’ve already made this twice because the one from last week disappeared WAY too fast! It is like comfort food for people who don’t want to feel like they need a nap after they’ve eaten said comfort food. No unbuttoning the top button of your jeans! I could eat this every single mother fkn day. Ok, basically I have been trying to ever since I first made it. Yes, lasagna isn’t something that you can prepare in a jiffy. But it is so worth it! Every bite worth it. There are a lot of steps but I have tried to make it easier for you with pictures…otherwise jump to the recipe and dig in!
The “noodle” part is weird, but it is actually a snap. It is made out of cream cheese, eggs, and more cheese. MORE CHEESE – YES PLEASE!!!
Once you pulse it in your food processor, it will look like a slightly soupy cookie dough.
Use a spatula to pour and smear the “noodle” mixture into a parchment paper-lined 9 x 13 inch baking dish or pan. I topped mine with some red pepper flakes, because I like a little zing in my “pasta.” My Pyrex is a bit rounded at the edges, so if you have a baking pan that is more square around the edges, use that. It helps to fill up the loaf pan when you build the lasagna.
While the “noodle” thing is baking, start cooking your grass-fed beef, with a bunch of herbs (see recipe), in a non-stick fry pan. I cook mine on medium to medium-high. Since there isn’t a lot of fat in grass-fed beef, you don’t have a lot of excess fat to drain. If you have excess, drain it.
Then, add some marinara sauce. If you are strict keto, use a sauce that does not contain any added sugar. Get a cheesy one! I actually used a Pomodoro sauce that I got from my favorite grocer, Trader Joe. THIS is where I start snacking….mmmmm juicy beef in tomato sauce. YUM!
This is your cheese “noodle” – which I have flipped over in this image and removed the parchment paper. Slice this into thirds, as each piece will become a layer of “noodle” in the loaf pan.
Put a small layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of the 8 x 4 inch loaf pan, and then place 1/3 of the “noodle” on top. You can see that mine doesn’t exactly fit, hence the rounded corners of my baking dish. It still comes out awesome!
Then layer the beef mixture, mozzarella, and ricotta over each layer of “noodle.”
This is it! Now it goes into the oven, finally! I poured a little extra sauce over my cheese. At this point, you can get creative and dump as much sauce and cheese over the top that you like. I added grated Parmesan with the Mozzarella too. Oh my god I can’t wait!!!!
Cheesy Keto Lasagna Loaf
- April 21, 2021
- 1 hr 30 min
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Ingredients
- Herbed Noodle Thing
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1.5 cups part skim low moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 C Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 large eggs
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 1 T dried basil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp dried Herbs de Provence
- 1 -2 tsp red pepper flakes
- The Filling
- 1 - 1.25 lbs grass-fed beef
- 1.5 C Pomodoro sauce (or marinara) + 1/2 - 3/4 C
- 1 T extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 T dried basil
- 1 T dried oregano
- 1 T Herbs de Provence (or any Italian spices)
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 6 T ricotta cheese
- 2 C part skim low moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 C Parmesan cheese, shredded
Directions
- Step 1
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Step 2
- Plop all of the “noodle” ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended. It will look like a goopy, sticky, cookie dough.
- Step 3
- Scrape and pour the noodle dough onto a 9 x 13 inch, parchment-lined baking dish. Make sure you spread it evenly to fill up the bottom of your baking dish.
- Step 4
- Bake for 20 minutes, but keep an eye on it towards the end so it doesn’t burn on top. It should not be oozy when it is fully cooked. Let cool.
- Step 5
- WHILE THE HERBED NOODLE THING IS BAKING:
- Step 6
- Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add beef, herbs, and garlic. Cook thoroughly.
- Step 7
- Drain excess fat and then add the tomato sauce. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Step 8
- ASSEMBLY:
- Step 9
- Fill the bottom of a non-stick, 4 x 8 inch loaf pan with a thin layer of marinara sauce, about 1/4 cup. Slice the noodle thing in thirds, with the pan horizontal. Place 1 of the 3 layers on top of the sauce.
- Step 10
- Layer with 1/3 of the beef mixture, topped with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese and 3 T ricotta cheese. Repeat.
- Step 11
- For the top layer, add the remaining beef mixture, top with a bit more marinara sauce, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan.
- Step 12
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is gooey and melted.
- Step 13
- Slice and serve with a big fat glass of cabernet!
Song for the Prep: Love by The Cult
Because who doesn’t love this? Truly I think I might love this recipe almost as much as I love The Cult. Oh Ian…be still my heart.
This recipe is loosely adapted from Kirbie’s Cravings and Peace, Love and Low Carb
