This dairy free lasagna is a totally creamy and satisfying casserole to serve your family. I have provided two options, one dairy free, and one not!
Either way, this homey and comforting Italian dish will feed a crowd with a lot less effort than you would think!
Of course, I have been CRAVING this, in fact I had a pan in the freezer I had made before my son was born waiting for us.
Maybe because I grew up eating it…but I have always loved my mom’s lasagna the best. We are creatures of habit, but anyone who eats her recipe always enjoys it, so it must be good by itself too!
Then of course food intolerances galore set in, and the gluten and dairy in it were out. Sigh.
I needed to recreate the cheese sauce with no dairy.
The results are a creamy and dreamy casserole free of all gluten and dairy!
For those of you still able to, you can use any lasagna noodles, and the dairy cheese mix to follow…OR try something new and just as delicious and totally dairy free!!
Is lasagna time consuming and difficult to make?
A lot of people avoid making lasagna, making the wrong assumption that it is time consuming…not at all!! It is a really simple assembly that requires no special skills or methods…and is a snap to throw together.
Best of all, you can easily make a double batch, freeze one pan for later or share it with a lucky friend. This a favorite meal to send to friends in need!
Vegan | vegetarian lasagna option?
Simply replace the ground beef with roughly 3-5 cups chopped veggies – onion, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach…whatever sounds good.
Sauté the veggies in oil until tender, adding the spices and tomato sauce at the end.
Serving suggestions for dairy free lasagna sides
- a simple green salad with a homemade vinaigrette takes just a couple minutes to prepare!
- My best fresh green beans would make a great veggie side!
- How about some homemade gluten free Artisan bread?
Additional gluten free dairy free recipes:
- I have a quick and easy gluten free lasagna soup recipe that everyone loves! Use the dairy free cheese mixture in THIS recipe for the cheesy addition.
- My Asian lettuce wraps are light and fresh and completely addicting!
- This one pan Cowboy Barbecue Skillet is a crowd favorite!
- My crockpot pulled pork couldn’t be any easier!
- How about this carne asada with an incredible mojo marinade?!
Gluten Free Dairy Free Lasagna Recipe:
If you try this gluten free lasagna, I want to hear about it! Please leave a comment below!
Mom's Lasagna - Gluten | Dairy Free Option
Ingredients
- 1 box lasagna noodles (there is no real science here, if you like yours really noodly, then add more!! If you get a box with mostly broken noodles, break them all up and layer pieces instead, lasagna is just a casserole after all! I used Tinkyada Lasagna Noodles to make it gluten-free.
Red sauce:
- 1 pound ground meat or sauteed veggies for a vegan option
- 1 24 ounce spaghetti sauce or 24oz crushed tomatoes and a can of paste Tonight I used my easy homemade tomato sauce.
- 2 teaspoons herbs of choice I added basil, oregano, thyme, parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt to taste, start w/ 1 teaspoon
Cheese Mix I - Dairy Free Version
- 1 cup pine nuts soaked in cold water at least 2 hours, then drained. Macadamia nuts, blanched raw almonds, or raw cashews would also work.
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast or more to taste (adds 'cheesy' flavor)
- 1/4 cup water or more if needed. Different nuts need more or less water..so start with none and add as needed to get it smooth and creamy.
- 8 oz mozzarella style vegan cheese such as Daiya cheese
Cheese Mix II - Dairy
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella
- 8 oz cottage cheese
- 8 oz grated parmesan or pecorino romano
Instructions
- Boil lasagna noodles following the directions (I used Tinkyada Brown Rice noodles- yum!), rinse with cool water, toss with a bit of oil to keep them from sticking, set aside. I have noticed I do not cook Tinkiyada noodles as long as they suggest, about HALF the time, so be safe and test a noodle!
- Brown the ground meat with some garlic powder and salt.
- Add in the tomato sauce of your choice, along with the herbs.
- Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning to your personal taste. Choose your cheese sauce and prepare:
- Dairy Free 'Cheese' Mix I - Puree all ingredients except the shredded cheese in a food processor until they are silky smooth (and if you are feeling creative, add some herbs in here too for added pizazz. Oregano, basil, thyme, Italian Seasoning, garlic are all good options). Scrape the sides down as needed, and only add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time if needed. When smooth, add the dairy free cheese, and pulse a couple of times to mix.
- Cheese Mix II - Mix all the cheeses together in bowl.
Assembling:
- Put a ladleful of red sauce to coat the bottom of the pan...this is a little trick so the noodles don't stick to the bottom.
- Then layer the noodles, then cheese mix, then red sauce, and repeat until ingredients are used up. NOTE: the layers don't need to be completely covered, it will all melt and blend together in the oven, promise, DOLLOPS WORK GREAT!!)
- I like to end with the red sauce and a sprinkling of cheese. Cover and freeze at this point if you are saving for later.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for apx 30 minutes until heated through.
Notes
Nutrition
Any of the links in my posts may be affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I might make a commission. Your support is much appreciated and pays for the cost of running this free resource!
The post Dairy Free Lasagna – Gluten Free appeared first on Tessa the Domestic Diva.
