My mom always had a tough job on her hands when it came to making everyone (okay, mostly my dad) happy when it came to meal planning. We didn't eat a lot of beef or pork in our family. It was a lot of chicken, seafood, pasta, and meatless meals. My dad wasn't (and still isn't!) a big meat eater. I would never label him as part of the carnivore family! But my mom had a brilliant way of making meals that didn't let us miss the meat...or even realize it wasn't there!

This easy lasagna casserole was the lasagna I grew up eating and loving. I don't believe there is a member of my family who groaned at the thought of my mom making this! Though this was just "lasagna" for me growing up, I have dubbed this more of a lasagna casserole since having my own family and becoming more familiar with traditional lasagna. I can remember the first time I made this for Josh - when I told him there wasn't any meat in it, he hadn't even noticed and didn't believe me until he closely inspected his second helping!

This recipe is so easy to put together...and so easy on the wallet! My kids know this dinner as "Nanny's Lasagna", but for you guys, it's Easy Lasagna Casserole...after all, she isn't your Nanny! Enjoy!

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Easy Lasagna Casserole

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Easy to put together and easy on the wallet, this tasty recipe for Easy Lasagna Casserole is, well, just plain easy!

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Ingredients

• 12 oz. wide egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
• 1 jar marinara sauce (I like Prego when it comes to jarred sauces)
• 1 (15 oz.) can black olives, sliced
• 1 (15 oz.) can mushrooms, optional ( I never add these, but my mom always did)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
• ½ teaspoon salt, divided
• ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper, divided
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and spread a small layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of the dish.
3. Layer half of the egg noodles on the bottom of the baking dish. Spread about ¾ cup of sauce over noodles (doesn't have to be perfect). Sprinkle ½ teaspoon garlic powder over the sauce and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Top with one cup of cheddar cheese and then one cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the cheddar. Top with half of the olives. Repeat that layer again using up the remainder of the ingredients.
4. Place baking dish in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese has melted and is heated through. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Notes

Slightly adapted from Connie Anderson

I have also made this many times in a deep casserole dish, which can result in 3 layers verses 2 layers. Just adjust seasoning and ingredients to fill the casserole dish.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 258Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 553mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 14g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.