A keto lasagna for meat lovers! Rather than try to sneak in a vegetable for the pasta layer, meatza slices are used in this low carb casserole.
I’ve been eating a lot less dairy these days. I did go a couple months without any, but gave in over the holidays. I’m blaming the low carb tiramisu.
Another one of my weaknesses is cheese. The alternatives aren’t that great so you really need the real thing.
In addition to tiramisu, another recipe that’s impossible to make without dairy is keto lasagna. And I have several varieties to choose from.
Some of the recipes I’ve made in the past are spaghetti squash, pumpkin, cabbage, and no noodle lasagnas. If I had to choose to eat just one, I’m not sure which one I would.
I haven’t made the pumpkin lasagna in a while. But, I really love that it uses pumpkin instead of tomato. It’s a nice change from the regular low carb marinara sauce.
Another thing I like about that lasagna recipe is that it uses meatza in place of pasta noodles. If you aren’t familiar with the term, it’s just another name for meat crust.
It’s a little more work to make the meatza as it’s prepped and baked separately. However, it’s definitely worth it as it’s a great keto sub for noodles.
You could opt for a no noodle keto lasagna. But, I’ve found that those are a bit of a mess and need to be served in bowls.
For a true lasagna, you need to make it in layers. But, one of those layers doesn’t necessarily have to be a noodle. You can use a meat or vegetable instead.
The skillet lasagna recipe from the Ketogenic Cooking cookbook uses thin slices of deli meat as a layer. That’s a simple option too.
In fact, you don’t have time to make the meatza, simply use thin deli meat slices like turkey or chicken. There are so many options for a keto lasagna!
When I made the meatza, I used a single 9×13 baking pan. However, the slices were too thick so I cut them to make them thinner.
To get the right thickness for the meatza, you’ll want to bake them in two 9×13 baking pans or a large sheet pan.
Most keto lasagna recipes add the parmesan cheese in with the ricotta and egg. But, I decided to mix it into the low carb marinara sauce instead.
The casserole fits perfectly in an 8×8-inch pan which isn’t a huge size. And, it can be easily sliced into 9 pieces.
You can prepare the lasagna in advance and put it in the freezer. Then, you’ll just need to bake it when ready to serve.
Another idea is to divide the keto lasagna between two loaf pans. That way, you can bake one now and save the other for later.
When it comes to lasagna, my family always eats it up. They especially like this meatza version as it doesn’t try to sneak in any veggies.
What’s your favorite way to make a low carb lasagna?
Keto Lasagna with Meatza Layers Recipe
Keto Lasagna
Ingredients
MEATZA INGREDIENTS :
- 2 Pounds Ground Lean Beef
- 1 Egg yolk beaten
- ½ Cup Parmesan
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
- 2 Teaspoon Ground Sage
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 Teaspoon Chili Powder more or less depending on your heat tolerance
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste
LASAGNA INGREDIENTS :
- Meatza
- 2 to 2 ½ Cups Marinara Sauce
- 10 Ounces Spinach
- 2 Egg yolks beaten
- 1 Cup Ricotta
- 2 Cups Freshly Grated Mozzarella Cheese
- ½ Cup Parmesan
- ¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- Fresh Parsley for garnishing
Instructions
- In a small container, mix onion powder, garlic powder, sage, oregano, thyme and chili powder. Reserve ½ teaspoon for marinara sauce.
- Place ground beef in a large platter or large bowl and mix in seasoning. Sprinkle parmesan and beaten egg yolk. Mix well.
- Line two 9x13 baking pans with parchment paper. Transfer seasoned ground beef and flatten with a spatula or back of a spoon.
- 4) In a preheated oven of 450°F, bake ground beef for 7 to 12 minutes or just until browned. Drain oil and slice to fit lasagna container.
- LASAGNA PROCEDURE :
- In a bowl with marinara sauce, add parmesan, reserved mixed seasoning (from meatza ingredients) and mix well. Set aside.
- In another bowl with beaten egg, fold in ricotta. Set aside.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil and spinach until wilted. Season spinach with onion powder, garlic powder and black pepper.
- Assemble lasagna. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoon marinara sauce to an 8x8 baking pan. Top with meatza slices, spread more marinara sauce. Add all sautéed spinach and spread ricotta mixture on top. Cover with half of mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients, with mozzarella at the top most part.
- In a preheated oven of 400°F, bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly golden.
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Nutrition
Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
About Lisa
Lisa has been creating low carb recipes for herself and sharing them with others since 2010. She loves to experiment in the kitchen and find new ways to create low sugar foods that taste like high carb favorites! Her recipes have been featured on popular magazine sites including Fitness, Shape, Country Living, Women's Health, and Men's Health. Lisa lives in Southeastern Connecticut. Connect with her and Low Carb Yum at:
Stephanie Smith says
This is so smart, I never would have thought to use meatza like this! I’ve been avoiding Lasagne on keto because I’ve mostly seen the zucchini noodles, and that doesn’t appeal to me. This does! And it’s my daughter’s favorite meal! Thank you!
Lisa MarcAurele says
The meatza is a great way to still get the layers without using thin veggie slices. Hope you love it as much as we do!
Charlie says
Super yummy. Thank you so much!
Jill says
Wow, this was super time consuming, but turned out very delicious! I used non dairy cheeses for me and it was still great!
Lisa says
Good to know those non-dairy cheese products worked. I’ve been avoiding dairy myself.
Texicana says
This was yummy! But I have a suggestion…instead of baking it in the 8X8 i would recommend a casserole dish. My meatza shrank and would have fit perfectly in a casserole dish. I ended up cutting the meatza and some of it didn’t end up in the lasagna (fine for a burger later). And when I entered the macros into carb manager it said it had 5 net carbs and I even accidentally forgot to buy the spinach. My marinara sauce had only 4 net carbs per serving so I’m not sure if the nutrition info is right.
Lisa says
Thanks for the suggestion!
Kathy says
Its just me (sometimes hate cooking for just 1) Dose this dish freeze well
Thanks. so far love all the recipes.
Lisa says
Yes. This does freeze well and can be frozen before or after baking. I prefer freezing it before baking.
Tracy says
Is this for a 9×13 pan recipe? There’s no way the 8×8 will feed my family of 6. Would I have to double everything?
Lisa says
I bake it in a 9×9, but you can adjust it for a 9×13.
Kimberly Gilbert says
Using Onion and garlic powders are difficult for gluten free which is one of our family problems. Think I will try this with real minced garlic and minced onion. Sounds great. Thanks for clarifying the Meatza times.
Lisa says
You can certainly use minced garlic and onion. I usually have those on hand too.
Anne says
This looks DEVINE! The meatza is interesting. I can’t wait to try it.
Lisa says
Hope you love it!
Danielle says
This turned out so delicious! Just curious, do use rGBH free ricotta cheese and mozarella? Thanks
Lisa says
I try to buy organic if it’s available. But otherwise, I’ll use what I can find (unfortunately).
Susan says
I made it yesterday, me and boyfriend loved it! I used 1 lb ground chuck and I lb ground Italian sausage, and baked it just until it was stiff enough to cut. Also used fresh mozzarella. It was great, thank you for posting a great recipe.
Lisa says
You’re welcome! 🙂
Jen says
Where can I find Meatza?
Lisa says
You make it as stated in the recipe.
Myrna says
I want lean about Keto precios. Thank you.
You have delicious recipes.
Pepper says
Did you use parchment paper
Lisa says
I usually use a non-stick pan or silicon mat.
Lana says
Could you use roasted peppers that have been in a vinegar solution or bacon as the sheet substitute?
Lisa says
I’d cook the bacon first, but it should work. The peppers may not hold well.
mark says
Peppers are often used in Mexican dishes of a similar nature, with great success.
Monte says
This was really disappointing. Lean ground beef cooked for 30 minutes gets very tough and dry. When I went to slice the finished lasagna, the meat was so rubbery that it wouldn’t cut and made a huge mess of the whole dish. And it was just too dry to eat. I threw it all away and I feel like I just wasted a lot of time and money.
Lisa says
How long did you cook the beef? The original recipe says to bake for 10-15 minutes (I changed it to 7-12 or just until browned so others don’t overcook like you did). Once it’s in the lasagna sauce, it shouldn’t dry out or get tough.
Ruby Miller says
Read!
HStew22 says
Made this last night! Didn’t have any spinach, but this was fantastic! Took your recommendation of a baking sheet to spread the meat out to bake. Two nice thin layers! Absolutely delicious!
Lisa says
Yay! It’s one of my favorites.
Laura J says
I’m making this today!!!!
Laura J says
Why does it say to use two 9 x 13 pan’s in the video all I see is you putting the hamburger in one pan? Then, it bakes in an 8 x 8?
Lisa says
The video doesn’t show the two layers. I double the layers when I make mine so mine is just done in thinner layers. But, you can make it either way.
Tom says
Are the nutritional values based on your double layers as you make it or on the single layer as the video? I may just be over thinking this.
Lisa says
It’s based on the ingredients listed.