Rice Lasagna

This Rice Lasagna recipe is so easy to make. It has the flavors of a traditional lasagna, but the noodle layers are replaced with cooked rice.

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This Rice Lasagna recipe is inspired by a dish a friend made for my family. She knew most of us could not eat gluten, so she made lasagna and replaced the noodle layers with rice. It might sound a little odd, but her Rice Lasagna casserole was delicious!

The next time I had leftover rice and had made a double batch of homemade spaghetti sauce, I knew I wanted to create my own version of Lasagna Rice Casserole.

This recipe is easy to make and comes together quickly if you already have some of the ingredients on hand, but it is tasty enough to be worth making from scratch if you are missing some of the precooked ingredients.

Rice Lasagna Variations

Ground Beef:  You can substitute any ground meat for the beef including, turkey, chicken, bison, and venison.

Cheese: I use ricotta cheese in this recipe, but you can substitute cottage cheese. I use shredded mozzarella cheese, but you can substitute a shredded Italian blend cheese or a shredded pizza blend cheese.

Rice: I use cooked Basmati rice, but you can use what ever type of white rice you wish.

Prep-Ahead Tips

You can make homemade spaghetti sauce in advance.  If you wish, you can also cook the ground beef ahead of time and mix it in with the spaghetti sauce.

Cooking your rice ahead of time is a huge time saver. I like to make a large batch of Basmati Rice in an Instant Pot. It is the fastest way to cook rice.

If you buy rounds of mozzarella cheese and blocks of parmesan cheese, you can shred the mozzarella cheese and grate the parmesan cheese ahead of time.

Rice Lasagna Recipe

This rice lasagna is a tasty alternative to lasagnas with noodles and still has all the Italian flavors you love.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 cup diced onion
• 3 cups spaghetti sauce (or 24-ounce jar)
• 1 container (15 oz.) ricotta or cottage cheese
• 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded  mozzarella cheese
• 3 cups cooked Basmati Rice
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.

2. Add the ground beef and onions to a skillet. Cook over medium heat until the ground beef is cooked through.

3. Stir the spaghetti sauce into the ground beef. Mix well.

4. Combine the ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese in a small bowl. Mix well.

5. Place the rice in a medium bowl. Add the eggs to the rice and use a fork to mix the eggs and rice together. Sprinkle the onion powder and garlic powder over the rice mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly.

6. Spread 1/3 of the meat sauce to the bottom of the baking pan.

7. Then spread 1/2 of rice on top of the sauce.

8. Spoon 1/2 of the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the rice.

9. Repeat the layers: 1/3 meat sauce, remaining rice, remaining cheese mixture.  Then spread the remaining 1/3 of the meat sauce on top.

10. Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the tops of the casserole.

11. Bake 25- 30 minutes or until cheese is thoroughly melted. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

How to Store and Free Leftovers

Store any leftover Rice Lasagna in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

To freeze the lasagna, allow it to cool.. Then store it in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How to Thaw Frozen Lasagna

Thaw the lasagna overnight in the refrigerator.

How to Reheat Rice Lasagna

Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through. For larger portions, place in a skillet or oven-safe pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes or until heated through.

Printable Recipe for Rice Lasagna

More Lasagna Recipes:

Skillet Lasagna Recipe

Mexican Lasagna

Artichoke Lasagna

Vegetable Lasagna