This creamy white lasagna with sausage and bacon recipe is simply amazing. If you are looking for a comfort food lasagna, look no further. Lasagna noodles, Italian sausage, bacon, white alfredo-like sauce and a traditional cheese mixture. This creamy white bacon lasagna with sausage is a delicious twist on the classic white lasagna, made extra savory with bacon and flavorful pork sausage.
It is October, which in my mind is the time for busting out comfort foods, and pork month. I thought this white lasagna recipe would be great to share for “Porktober” because it includes pork Italian sausage and bacon- my two favorite pork cuts!
Why celebrate “Porktober”
While pork often gets a bad wrap – it is actually a great, healthy, choice when choosing lean cuts such as pork loin. Pork is an excellent source of Thiamin, Zinc, Selenium, Niacin, Riboflavin, B6, B12 according to the National Pork Board.
When I was a kid- I always thought pork was tough and dry- turns out, my mother was just overcooking it. This page here will tell you more about the proper temps to cook pork- when cooked properly, it is delicious. I challenge you to eat an extra serving of pork in October, and every month! Now, let’s get back to the recipe.
Creamy White Lasagna with Bacon Ingredients
This white bacon lasagna does have a longer ingredient list and process than some recipes- but trust the process, it is so worth it.
Lasagna Ingredients
Italian sausage, oven ready lasagna noodles (I’ll show you how to use NOT oven ready noodles, too), bacon, mozzarella cheese to top the lasagna.
White Sauce
olive oil, onion, butter, flour, chicken broth, half and half, spinach, salt, pepper and minced garlic.
Cheese Sauce
cottage cheese, egg, parmesan and mozzarella
How to make this Creamy White Lasagna Recipe
- Preheat oven to 375 F and grease the bottom of your casserole dish. If you haven’t already, brown your Italian sausage and cook and crumble your bacon.
Make the white sauce
- In a saucepan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and butter, let it melt and then sauté the onions and garlic until softened. Next, whisk in the flour. Whisk for a few minutes until the flour mixture is well combined and golden. It may be kind of thick.
- Next, add the chicken broth and the half and half. Whisk together and add the seasonings. Let this simmer and get a thicker gravy-like consistency.
- Once it is gravy-like, add the spinach. (spinach is optional). Set aside and remove from heat.
Make the Cheese Sauce
- In a larger bowl, add the cottage cheese, egg and 2 cups of mozzarella and parmesan. Stir well with rubber spatula.
It’s time to assemble the lasagna!
- Add 1/2 cup white sauce to the bottom of your casserole dish. The dish needs to be large enough to snugly fit 3 lasagna noodles (about 9×13).
- Next, add 3 oven-ready lasagna noodles. Then add 1/2 of the cottage cheese sauce, then add 1/2 of the Italian sausage, ladle 1/3 of the white sauce on top of that and sprinkle with a tbsp of bacon. Spread the mixtures evenly on the noodles.
- Add 3 more lasagna noodles and add the remaining cottage cheese sauce and italian sausage. Ladle another 1/3 of the white sauce. Sprinkle another tbsp of bacon on the top.
- Now, add the last 3 noodles, add the remaining white sauce, and top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the remaining bacon on top of the cheese.
To bake
- Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Then remove the foil and let it brown for an additional 3-6 minutes. Let it cool a bit and then dig in.
White Lasagna Substitutions and Variations
There are many ways you could make this recipe your own with substitutions and variations.
Meat: substitute Italian sausage with Italian flavored ground turkey, ground chicken. Add shredded chicken instead from rotisserie or chicken breast and create a white chicken lasagna. I get pre-seasoned Italian sausage, but you can snag some of our home blended Italian seasoning to make your own if using ground beef or chicken.
You could leave the bacon out of this recipe, but that would be silly! If in a pinch, used bacon bits instead of regular bacon (I like the members mark brand bacon bits).
Sauce: you can leave out the spinach or cut back on it, add parsley, substitute half & half with equal portions of milk and heavy cream. Ricotta can be replaced for the cottage cheese in the recipe in equal amounts.
This sauce is basically an alfredo sauce. If in a hurry, you could purchase a large jar of your favorite alfredo sauce to use in this white lasagna recipe.
noodles: if you do not have oven ready noodles. Use regular lasagna noodles but soak in water for about 5 minutes prior to assembling- they bake just as well without going through the process of boiling them.
How to store creamy white lasagna with bacon
This can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Two ways to freeze lasagna:
- Bake as instructed, cool, and cut into pieces. Place a serving size into a small airtight and freezer safe container to freeze. If a lot of space in the container, wrap with saran to help prevent burn. Freeze for up to 3 months. Just thaw and heat in microwave later for a quick lunch.
- Assemble the lasagna in a freezer safe pan, but do NOT bake. Freeze un-baked. Thaw and then bake per instructions on recipe card. Note: it can take at least 24 hours to thaw in refrigerator.
What to pair with the White Lasagna Recipe
I feel this lasagna is an entire meal of its’ own, but here are a few ideas:
- simple side salad
- bread sticks or garlic toast
- Check out our dessert recipes for a little sweet tooth inspo. I especially think these Apple Bars or Mint Brownies would pair well.
If you like creamy white lasagna, try these recipes
- Four Ingredient Pizza Bread Recipe
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
- Lasagna Cups
- Pizza Sliders Recipe
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Creamy White Bacon and Sausage Lasagna
Equipment
- 1 large sauce pan for white sauce
- 1 casserole dish for lasagna
- 2 med/large bowls for mixing
- measuring utensils
Ingredients
Lasagna Ingredients
- 1 lb. browned Italian sausage
- 9 oven ready lasagna noodles or soak regular lasagna noodles in water for 5 min before assembling
- 4-6 strips bacon cooked and crumbled or 1/2-3/4 c bacon bits
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, for top of lasagna
White Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium sized onion diced small
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2-1/2 cups chicken broth reduced sodium
- 1-1/2 cups half and half or half milk and half heavy cream
- 1 cup chopped spinach optional
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
Cheese Sauce
- 15 oz cottage cheese I prefer 4%. Can use ricotta, too.
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup parmesan shredded cheese
- 2 cups mozzarella shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F and grease the bottom of your casserole dish. If you haven't already, brown your italian sausage and cook and crumble your bacon.
Make the white sauce
- In a saucepan on medium-high heat, add the olive oil and butter, let it melt and then sauté the onions and garlic until softened. Next, whisk in the flour. Whisk for a few minutes until the flour mixture is well combined and golden. It may be kind of thick.
- Next, add the chicken broth and the half and half. Whisk together and add the seasonings. Let this simmer and get a thicker gravy-like consistency.
- Once it is gravy-like, add the spinach. (spinach is optional). Set aside and remove from heat.
Make the Cheese Sauce
- In a larger bowl, add the cottage cheese, egg and 2 cups of mozzarella and parmesan. Stir well with rubber spatula.
It's time to assemble the lasagna!
- Add 1/2 cup white sauce to the bottom of your casserole dish. The dish needs to be large enough to snugly fit 3 lasagna noodles (about 9×13).
- Next, add 3 oven-ready lasagna noodles. Then add 1/2 of the cottage cheese sauce, then add 1/2 of the Italian sausage, ladle 1/3 of the white sauce on top of that and sprinkle with a tbsp of bacon. Spread the mixtures evenly on the noodles.
- Add 3 more lasagna noodles and add the remaining cottage cheese sauce and italian sausage. Ladle another 1/3 of the white sauce. Sprinkle another tbsp of bacon on the top.
- Now, add the last 3 noodles, add the remaining white sauce, and top with 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the remaining bacon on top of the cheese.
To bake
- Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for about 45 minutes. Then remove the foil and let it brown for an additional 3-6 minutes. Let it cool a bit and then dig in!
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