Keto Deep Dish Meat Lasagna
Are you a lasagna lover like I am? This Easy Keto Meat Lasagna will surely satisfy your love for lasagna and also satisfy your entire family! I will even say that it tastes better than the “real thing”!
Pre keto (and pre gluten-free) I used to love lasagna. it was a comfort food for me. When I went gluten-free I stopped eating lasagna altogether. I don’t know if it is because I couldn’t find a suitable gluten-free noodle replacement or just didn’t take the time to find one.
In either case, it had been a few years since I’ve enjoyed a good lasagna.
When I came across the idea of making noodles from cheese, I really wasn’t impressed. I made lasagna from The Craveable Keto cookbook and I was blown away. It was AMAZING! That recipe is what inspired this one, a YEAR later!
It took me about a YEAR to make my own lasagna recipe, but it never would have happened without the initial inspiration. If you don’t own that cookbook, go buy it! It’s AWESOME!
If you’re heading to a holiday party, having some friends over to watch the big game, or just needing to keep a growing family fed during these colder winter months, this ultimate low carb lasagna is perfect.
I like this recipe for a few reasons. It’s such a hearty recipe with just a few carbohydrates. By swapping pasta sheets used in traditional recipes, we reduce the carbohydrate count by more than 50% – this is critical if you are closely monitoring your carbohydrate intake, especially for diets like keto.
And the layers of vegetables provide the heartiness that you still need in order for the meal to be overall satisfying. Plus, you’re “sneaking” in a variety of vitamins by using the veggies.
The only thing I caution you to do after slicing up the vegetables is drying them on paper towels. Yeah, it’s kind of a pain in the butt but it will yield for a much better lasagna. Vegetables carry a lot of water – this is why it’s incredibly hydrating to eat raw vegetables. The water from those veggies can quickly accumulate in the lasagna and make for a watery, loose sauce.
Ingredients for 9 hearty servings
Sauce
Layers
Topping
STEPS
Pre keto (and pre gluten-free) I used to love lasagna. it was a comfort food for me. When I went gluten-free I stopped eating lasagna altogether. I don’t know if it is because I couldn’t find a suitable gluten-free noodle replacement or just didn’t take the time to find one.
In either case, it had been a few years since I’ve enjoyed a good lasagna.
When I came across the idea of making noodles from cheese, I really wasn’t impressed. I made lasagna from The Craveable Keto cookbook and I was blown away. It was AMAZING! That recipe is what inspired this one, a YEAR later!
It took me about a YEAR to make my own lasagna recipe, but it never would have happened without the initial inspiration. If you don’t own that cookbook, go buy it! It’s AWESOME!
If you’re heading to a holiday party, having some friends over to watch the big game, or just needing to keep a growing family fed during these colder winter months, this ultimate low carb lasagna is perfect.
I like this recipe for a few reasons. It’s such a hearty recipe with just a few carbohydrates. By swapping pasta sheets used in traditional recipes, we reduce the carbohydrate count by more than 50% – this is critical if you are closely monitoring your carbohydrate intake, especially for diets like keto.
And the layers of vegetables provide the heartiness that you still need in order for the meal to be overall satisfying. Plus, you’re “sneaking” in a variety of vitamins by using the veggies.
The only thing I caution you to do after slicing up the vegetables is drying them on paper towels. Yeah, it’s kind of a pain in the butt but it will yield for a much better lasagna. Vegetables carry a lot of water – this is why it’s incredibly hydrating to eat raw vegetables. The water from those veggies can quickly accumulate in the lasagna and make for a watery, loose sauce.
Ingredients for 9 hearty servings
Sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2/3 cup chopped onion
- 2lb 95% lean beef (or your choice of ground meat)
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- pinch of sea salt & pepper
- 1 1/2 jars (~38oz) favorite low-calorie marinara
Layers
- 20oz (~566g) part-skim ricotta cheese
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan (optional)
- 2 medium squash
- 2 medium (~1 1/4 lb) eggplants
- 2 medium zucchini
Topping
- 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella
- Utensils
- Deep dish baking pan (I used Reynolds Kitchen Disposable Baking Pan with lid)
STEPS
- Set oven to 420F.
- Set a nonstick skillet on medium high heat, add olive oil, garlic and chopped onion. Sauté and brown the onions, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Increase the heat of the skillet and add the ground beef. Chop up as it cooks with the onions. Sprinkle in Italian seasoning and sea salt & pepper and continue cooking until the meat is well chopped in the skillet (note: it is ok if there are still pink pieces).
- Add the marinara and fold everything together. Reduce the heat to low, then simmer and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- In a separate bowl, mix together ricotta and egg whites. Set aside.
- Using a mandolin (recommended) or a sharp knife, slice the veggies vertically into strips, slightly thicker than a nickel. (Pro-Tip: Pat the veggies dry on a paper towel and allow them to rest on the paper towels for about 20 minutes or even overnight in the fridge. This will help reduce the amount of water in the lasagna since veggies hold a lot of water.)
- Build the lasagna. In a baking pan, add a layer of squash >> the meat sauce >> half of the ricotta mixture >> sprinkle of parmesan >> layer of eggplant >> meat sauce >> ricotta mix >> sprinkle of parmesan >> zucchini >> remaining meat sauce >> mozzarella
- Cover with foil, then bake for 35 to 40 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, remove the top foil to allow the top to brown.