The Ultimate Homemade Lasagna with Hidden Beef Liver
One of my all-time favourite meals, and perfect for meal prep or feeding a large group or family, is lasagna with beef liver. It’s a hearty, comforting dish that can easily be customized and enjoyed by all. One of the best parts? You can sneak in some beef liver for an extra boost of nutrition without anyone even noticing!
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I love making my own meat sauce with beef liver, homemade ricotta, and fresh homemade noodles for the ultimate, wholesome lasagna. While you don’t have to go all-out and make everything from scratch, it really does make the dish unique to your style and adds a bit more fun to the process!
Not only does this version of lasagna pack in extra vitamins and minerals, but the rich flavours from the beef liver and homemade ingredients take it to the next level—something store-bought alternatives can’t quite achieve. The deep, savoury taste and fresh ingredients create a lasagna that’s truly special.
This recipe is a major crowd-pleaser and perfect for meal prep. I usually make two 9″ square lasagnas—one to bake for dinner and the other to stash in the freezer for a quick and easy meal later. It’s a total win, and a great way to have a delicious homemade meal at the ready!
What are the layers of lasagna?
- Meat Sauce
- Cheese
- Ricotta
- Noodles
Meat Sauce
The meat sauce is definitely the star of the lasagna. If I’m doing a double batch, I’ll mix pork and beef. For a single batch, I’ll just use beef and beef liver which makes it rich, hearty, and packed with flavour and nutrients.
The ground beef liver is not overpowering at the ratio I recommend but it “beefs up” the nutritional profile while complementing the other meats.
For the tomato portion of the sauce, if I’m making a double batch, I love using a can of crushed tomatoes along with diced tomatoes for texture. The chunkiness of the diced tomatoes contrasts with the smoothness of the crushed tomatoes, giving the sauce a consistency that is both satisfying and versatile. For a single batch, I’ll just use crushed for ease.
I also like to make a double batch of meat sauce and freeze the extra in freezer bags. It tastes better and saves time in the kitchen.
Learn more about my hidden beef liver meat sauce here!
Why Beef Liver?
Beef liver is highly valued in many cultures around the world. In traditional diets and indigenous cuisines, liver was often prized as a nutrient-rich food that provided essential vitamins and minerals, including iron, vitamin A, vitamin B12, and folate. Because of its nutritional value, it was commonly used to support general health, a healthy pregnancy and the development of robust babies.
Beef Liver Cubes
To make this recipe, I would first recommend you make some beef liver cubes. Making these ahead of time makes the process a whole lot easier and cleaner! I always have a bag of beef liver cubes on hand to add whenever I cook a dish with ground meat. Simply add a 2oz beef liver cube per pound of ground meat. This ratios allows you to reap the benefits of beef liver without it overpowering your meal, no one will even know it’s in there!
Cheese
Cheese is the heart of lasagna, bringing richness and depth to every bite.
I like to use mozzarella as the base for its melt and stretch, but I’ll often mix in other cheeses like cheddar, gouda, or parmesan depending on what I have on hand.
Just be mindful that cheeses with higher fat content tend to release more oil during baking, which can impact the texture, but also adds to the deliciousness so the choice is yours.
Ricotta
I enjoy making my own ricotta for lasagna, but using store-bought ricotta works just as well! Whichever ricotta you decide to use, there’s just a little prep to do before it’s ready for your lasagna layers.
Learn more about making your own ricotta here!
To get it lasagna-ready, simply mix the ricotta with an egg, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a sprinkle of parsley and oregano.
This will give the ricotta a better texture, helping it stay firm when baked, and the seasonings will bring extra flavour to the dish. It’s an easy way to elevate store-bought or homemade ricotta for lasagna without much effort!
Noodles
Making your own lasagna noodles with a pasta roller is incredibly simple and fun! However, if you don’t have one on hand, store-bought noodles are a budget-friendly and convenient option that still works wonderfully.
If you’re going to take the convenient route of buying noodles from the store, might as well get the “oven-ready” or “no-boil” lasagna noodles. This saves you the step of boiling the noodles before assembling your lasagna.
I personally find pasta-making therapeutic when I have the time, but I’ll admit, I haven’t perfected my recipe yet. I often run into the issue of the dough being too dry or too sticky. The debate over whether to use eggs, oil, water, or no egg at all can be a tricky one! One day, I’ll dive deeper into it, but for now, I’m sharing a solid recipe with you.
If you’re curious about making your own whole wheat pasta, click here to learn more!
Another option is sourdough pasta, which I recommend preparing a day ahead and letting it rest in the fridge for long fermentation. This method improves digestibility, although it does slow down the dough’s rise, keeping the pasta from being leavened by the sourdough starter.
Lasagna Freezer Meal
When making lasagna, I always prepare two 9″ square pans—one to bake for dinner and one to freeze.
When time is tight, I simply pull the frozen lasagna from the freezer in the morning and let it thaw on the counter. By dinner time, it’s ready to pop into the oven for a quick and easy meal!
What You’ll Need
9″ x 13″ Lasagna Dish – or two 9″ square glass dishes
Large Pot – For making the meat sauce
Wooden Spoon – For mixing the sauce
Slotted Spoon – For scooping the sauce
Ingredients You’ll Need
Meat Sauce:
- Olive Oil
- Minced Garlic Cloves
- Diced Onion
- Diced Bell Pepper
- Ground Beef
- Ground Beef Liver
- Tomato Paste
- Red Wine (optional)
- Canned Tomatoes (16 oz. Crushed)
- Freshly Chopped Herbs or Dried Herbs
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Ricotta Layer:
- Ricotta
- Egg
- Salt & Pepper
- Dried Herbs
For the Noodle and Cheese Layers:
- Homemade fresh lasagna noodles or “Oven-Ready”/”No-Boil” store-bought noodles
- Shredded Parmesan cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
How To Make the Ultimate Homemade Lasagna with Hidden Beef Liver
Prepare the Meat Sauce:
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add a splash of oil.
Add minced garlic, diced onion, and bell peppers to the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
Add the ground beef and ground beef liver to the pot. Cook until the meat is evenly browned and crumbly. If using frozen liver cubes, they will thaw and cook as the meat browns.
(Optional) For extra depth of flavor, pour in a splash of red wine after the meat is cooked through. Let it reduce for 2-3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Stir in the tomato paste, herbs, salt, and pepper, mixing well to combine.
Add the canned tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired thickness. The longer it simmers, the more flavourful the sauce becomes.
Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more spices or salt as needed.
Prepare the Ricotta:
In a bowl, add your ricotta, egg, salt, pepper, and spices.
Mix everything together until evenly distributed, ensuring a smooth, well-blended mixture.
Assemble the Lasagna:
Start by spreading a little meat sauce on the base of the dish.
Lay out your first layer of noodles, whether they are fresh or dried.
Scoop 1/3 of your meat sauce onto the noodles and spread it evenly.
Sprinkle 1/3 of your shredded cheese evenly on top of the meat sauce.
Lay out another layer of noodles.
Scoop another 1/3 of your meat sauce onto the noodles.
Spread your ricotta mixture evenly over the meat sauce layer (it’s fine if it mixes a little).
Sprinkle another 1/3 of your shredded cheese evenly on top of the ricotta mixture.
Lay out another layer of noodles.
Scoop the remaining meat sauce onto the noodles and spread it out.
Sprinkle the last of your shredded cheese and parmesan on top.
Finish with a sprinkle of dried parsley.
Cover the lasagna with a layer of tin foil to seal it.
Bake the Lasagna:
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
Once preheated, place the lasagna in the oven, covered, and bake for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, uncover the lasagna and let it bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the top is crispy and bubbly.
Once baked, let the lasagna cool for at least 15-30 minutes before slicing and serving. (This resting time helps it set and prevents a messy slice!)
Serve and enjoy with a side of Caesar salad, of course!
Notes
Yes, I used aged cheddar for this lasagna. Mozzarella is preferred but desperate times call for desperate measures. It is still so delicious, whatever cheese you choose.
Homemade Lasagna with Beef Liver
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 Minced Garlic Cloves
- 1 Onion Finely diced
- 1 Bell Pepper Finely diced
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 2 oz. Ground Beef Liver
- 3 oz. Tomato Paste
- 1/4 cup Red Wine optional
- 1 16 oz. Canned Tomatoes Crushed
- Dried thyme, oregano, cumin 1/2 tsp each
- 1 tsp Parsley
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Pepper
Ricotta
- 2 cups Ricotta
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- Dried oregano, parsley 1/2 tsp each
Noodles
- 2 servings Homemade fresh lasagna noodles or 1 box "Oven-Ready"/"No-Boil" store-bought noodles
Cheese
- 3 cups Shredded mozzarella cheese 300g
- 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Prepare the Meat Sauce:
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add a splash of oil.
- Add minced garlic, diced onion, and bell peppers to the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the ground beef and ground beef liver to the pot. Cook until the meat is evenly browned and crumbly. If using frozen liver cubes, they will thaw and cook as the meat browns.
- (Optional) For extra depth of flavor, pour in a splash of red wine after the meat is cooked through. Let it reduce for 2-3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the tomato paste, herbs, salt, and pepper, mixing well to combine.
- Add the canned tomatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it cook for a couple of hours, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired thickness. The longer it simmers, the more flavourful the sauce becomes.
- Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more spices or salt as needed.
Prepare the Ricotta:
- In a bowl, add your ricotta, egg, salt, pepper, and spices.
- Mix everything together until evenly distributed, ensuring a smooth, well-blended mixture.
Assemble the Lasagna:
- Start by spreading a little meat sauce on the base of the dish.
- Lay out your first layer of noodles, whether they are fresh or dried.
- Scoop 1/3 of your meat sauce onto the noodles and spread it evenly.
- Sprinkle 1/3 of your shredded cheese evenly on top of the meat sauce.
- Lay out another layer of noodles.
- Scoop another 1/3 of your meat sauce onto the noodles.
- Spread your ricotta mixture evenly over the meat sauce layer (it’s fine if it mixes a little).
- Sprinkle another 1/3 of your shredded cheese evenly on top of the ricotta mixture.
- Lay out another layer of noodles.
- Scoop the remaining meat sauce onto the noodles and spread it out.
- Sprinkle the last of your shredded cheese and parmesan on top.
- Finish with a sprinkle of dried parsley.
- Cover the lasagna with a layer of tin foil to seal it.
Bake the Lasagna:
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Once preheated, place the lasagna in the oven, covered, and bake for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, uncover the lasagna and let it bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the top is crispy and bubbly.
- Once baked, let the lasagna cool for at least 15-30 minutes before slicing and serving. (This resting time helps it set and prevents a messy slice!)
- Serve and enjoy with a side of Caesar salad, of course!
Notes
Storage
To store lasagna, let it cool to room temperature before placing it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
For freezing, wrap the lasagna tightly in plastic wrap or foil, then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container to prevent freezer burn. It’s helpful to freeze lasagna in smaller portions for easier reheating. Always label the container with the date to keep track of how long it’s been stored.
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