Easy Dinner Ideas for when the Grandkids Visit

I’m always looking for easy dinner ideas so that when the grandchildren come over I can have something ready that they like to eat that doesn’t require me being in the kitchen all day. One of my favorites is my mother’s lasagna, which is a quick and easy recipe that can serve a bunch of hungry kids (and their parents).

It doesn’t require a ton of ingredients and can be fully cooked in just 30 minutes!

Because I cook for so many people with very healthy appetites I doubled the recipe years ago. If you cook for just 3 or 4 normal people (or kids with small appetites) just cut this recipe in half.

This is what was left in the pan after I fed my crew Sunday lunch.

easy lasagna for dinner
This pan has seen a lot of lasagna over the years!

Mom’s Lasagna

This is the double batch. Remember, if you want a smaller amount just cut the recipe in half.

You will need 2 pounds ground beef or ground chuck. (The lower the fat content the better)

2 jars of Ragu with meat (or whatever sauce you prefer)

Large container of low fat cottage cheese

Lasagna noodles

4 eggs

Lots of mozzarella cheese (I buy the really big bags because I use it for several things)

ragu sauce for easy lasagna
I use Ragu with meat sauce but you can use Hunts or whatever you like!
oven ready noodles for easy lasagna
You can buy the ready to use lasagna or just use regular lasagna noodles. I don’t know why the package tells you to cook and drain the regular noodles because I’ve used them without boiling them and draining and the recipe worked just fine. Either kind of noodles you choose will work and if you don’t boil and drain them your quick and easy dinner will get put together even faster.
Beef with Ragu sauce for dinner lasagna
I brown the beef, drain it and then add spaghetti sauce. Heat until it bubbles then remove from stove.
I mix the 4 eggs with the cottage cheese and add lots of black pepper. By the time I made this picture I had already used most of this and the reason the eggs are extra yellow is because they are farm fresh eggs.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. This is what the lasagna looks like before it goes in the oven. When the cheese is all melted and bubbly your easy dinner lasagna is ready to take out of the oven. Let it cool for about 5 minutes before cutting.

Just layer the meat, cottage cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese and noodles, then repeat. I always make sure and end with the cheese on top. Next, add some garlic bread and a salad. You are ready to eat!

This is a blog hop. Link up and tell me about your favorite lasagna recipe!



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28 Comments

  8. Hi Teresa lovely to meet you and thank you for the invitation to link up through the Blogging Grandmothers FB page. It is my first time linking up with you. Your lasagne looks delicious and is always a favourite with children especially. Have a lovely day and I look forward to linking up again.

  18. My favorite lasagna recipe are the lasagna roll ups my wife makes… yummy! They are the lasagna noodles (boiled), rolled like sushi with sausage, cheese, + sauce – all baked in the oven. Amazing!!

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