4 Ingredient Cheater Lasagna

This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, I may earn a small commission AT NO COST TO YOU. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

4 Ingredient Cheater Lasagna Dinner has all those yummy flavors of traditional lasagna but only requires a fraction of the work involved in making that classic lasagna recipe we all know. However, the flavor will be just as amazing.

Kids absolutely adore this insanely delicious easy recipe with all its ooey gooeyness and just like my 3 Ingredient Creamy Mac and Cheese, and my 5 Ingredient Baked Chicken Broccoli Pasta, I’m betting this lazy lasagna will be a regular in your household too.

What’s to Love about this Easy Cheaters Lasagna

We all love real simple meals to put together and this is one of them. There are so many great things about this easy pasta recipe!

• It takes less than 15 minutes to assemble and get into the oven.
• No laundry list of ingredients here. It only uses 4 main ingredients that are easy to find in the grocery store.
• This recipe is perfect for meal prep!
• The level of versatility is crazy. It’s really easy to switch up and make your own.

Groceries Needed:

• Ground Beef: I used lean ground beef but if you want slightly less fat, use an extra lean.
• Ravioli: It’s important that you choose fresh ravioli for this recipe. If you’re not quite sue what ravioli looks like, this article talking about the difference between ravioli and tortellini can help you out because there is a ton of variety in the stores to use. Options like 3 Cheese, Ricotta Spinach, etc, are great to choose from and give a new twist on the flavors.
• A Jar of Pasta Sauce: I chose a 3 cheese spaghetti sauce to maximize the cheesy flavors of this ravioli casserole.
• Shredded cheese: Store-bought shredded 4 cheese blend is what I used, but use what you have on hand or what is your favorite. Pre-shredded cheese is ideal to use because it cuts down your prep work, but if you want to shred it yourself, there’s no problem with that.

Pantry Ingredients

• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder (or minced garlic if you have it)

EAZYTIP: Remember, ingredients like salt, pepper, garlic powder, sugar, and oil don’t count towards the ingredient list because most people have these items in the pantry.

How to Make this 4 Ingredient Cheater Lasagna

The reason why we can get this casserole in the oven lickity split is by doing a few things at the same time.

• Always start by preheating your oven.
• Fresh pasta is the key to this recipe. You don’t have to boil it ahead of time, but it must be fresh in order for it to be cooked fully through after baking in the oven.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, start to brown the ground beef. Add the sauce and give it a few minutes to heat through.
• Layer a small amount of sauce (about 1/2 cup) on the bottom of the baking dish.
• Then start layering the meat, ravioli (in a single layer), and cheese in the dish. Finish with the remaining ravioli, sauce, and cheese, and then get it in the oven. Done!

For a complete guide to ingredient amounts and directions, look below at the bottom of this post for a printable recipe card.

Substitutions and Variations for 4 Ingredient Ravioli Lasagna

This is what’s so incredibly great about this lazy lasagna recipe. Just with a few changes, you can level up the flavors and put new twists on it every time.

• Change up the Protein – try using sweet Italian sausage instead of ground beef for even more flavor. If you want less fat, try ground turkey sausage instead.
• Switching cheeses – No one says you have to stick with Mozza. Try using some grated provolone mixed with the mozzarella, or kick it up a notch with some zesty grated pepper jack.
• Add more aromatics – adding things like Italian seasoning, diced onions to the ground beef, and dried chili flakes can take things up a notch easily. Also, sprinkling torn fresh basil leaves over the top after it comes out of the oven is adding heavenly!
• If you felt inspired, you could try making your own quick tomato sauce recipe with a few more ingredients for an even more unique flavor.

***EAZYTIP: Make this Cheater’s Lasagna ahead of time and pop it in the freezer. This is great for making ahead of time and goes from freezer to oven easily! (Using an approved freezer to oven baking dishes of course to prevent cracking).

Sides to Serve with this Easy Baked Lasagna

Serve a fun big tossed salad with it and a side of nice buttery 4 Ingredient Cheesy Garlic Knots!

It’s always nice to have some grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top (the shaker kind in the bottle). It’s optional but adds a little bit of a delicious cheesy bite.

Handling Leftovers

Leftovers for this lasagna bake will stay great in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep them in an airtight container.

Freezing the leftovers is an awesome option. Use freezer-friendly containers, and store them for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, or if you freeze them in individual portions, then heat them in the microwave for a few minutes from frozen to make a perfect lunch or quick dinner.

Eazy Answers to your Questions:

If you’ve already made this recipe, please leave a review below letting me know what you think of it! Thanks for stopping by today!

~Joanne