I'll be the first to say it - no one wants to make a healthy lasagna. Mostly because our idea of 'healthy' as a society tends to be low fat, no cheese, gluten-free, and with no red meat. This cheesy spinach and artichoke lasagna has butter, olive oil, plenty of cheese, real pasta sheets, and some red meat - but it's also higher fiber than your normal lasagna, and at 33 grams of protein in a 462-calorie serving, it is super filling. Better yet, it combines the beloved lasagna with spinach and artichoke dip!

So what's the secret ingredient that makes this high-protein lasagna work?

Blended cottage cheese. I know! Weird! But I promise you the cheese sauce will have the smoothest, creamiest texture this way. Just throw your cottage cheese in the blender and watch the magic happen. Cottage cheese is also a protein and nutrient powerhouse, so this spinach and artichoke lasagna boasts an incredible nutritional density.

I first saw blended cottage cheese on TikTok where it was used to make ice cream. Soon after that, I began seeing all kinds of uses, like as a dip! So this is me throwing my hat into the what-weird-thing-can-I-do-with-cottage-cheese ring.

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• Ground beef
• Onions, diced
• Diced tomatoes
• Balsamic vinegar
• Red pepper flakes
• Garlic
• Dried oregano
• Butter
• All-purpose flour
• Milk
• Cream cheese
• Cottage cheese
• Artichoke hearts
• Baby spinach
• Oven-ready lasagna sheets

Make the Red Sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then sear the ground beef until there are some golden brown patches. Add in the onion and cook until softened, followed by the tomatoes, vinegar, red pepper flakes, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow this mixture to simmer while you make the cheese sauce

This red sauce is complex and flavorful, and it's great for more than just lasagna! You can use this as just a Bolognese sauce on its own, but it's the perfect complement to the cheesy, smooth, creamy sauce that we'll make with the blended cottage cheese.

Make the Spinach and Artichoke Cheese Sauce

In a new pan, melt your butter over medium heat, stir in the flour, and cook for another minute. Turn the pan down to low and begin to slowly add milk, stirring between each addition of milk until the mixture is creamy. Turn the heat back to medium and stir in your cream cheese, cottage cheese, artichokes, and spinach until the cream cheese is melted, the spinach is wilted and everything is combined.

The perfect blend of cream cheese and blended cottage cheese in this sauce makes it decadent and high in protein, and you could use it as a spinach and artichoke dip all on its own.

If you've never made a roux before, make sure the butter and flour cook for a little time on their own first, until it doesn't smell like raw flour anymore. With the pan on low heat, when you add the first splash of milk and mix, it should incorporate into the butter and flour and stay a very thick, homogenous texture. As you add milk slowly it will thin out a little, but should stay thicker than you would expect and very homogenous.

Assemble the Lasagna

Spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce in a greased 9x13 dish, followed by 4 lasagna sheets. Next, add 1/2 of the red sauce and another 1/4 of the cheese sauce, and 4 lasagna sheets. Add another 1/2 of the red sauce, 1/4 of the cheese sauce, and 4 lasagna sheets. Top with the remaining cheese sauce and bake for 40 minutes. Allow 15 minutes for cooling.

You don't need to be too fussy with this part of the recipe, but the key part is making sure you have cheese sauce covering the whole top layer, or the lasagna sheets won't absorb any liquid and will just be crunchy, dry pasta on the top of your lasagna. Maybe you're into that, that's cool, but most people might be a little taken aback if they think the pasta in your lasagna is raw.

One more thing - don't skip the cooling time! I always want to, but you're going to have trouble getting out slices of lasagna if you skip it, and it'll be too hot to taste the flavor.

High Protein Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna Recipe

Download the recipe here

Servings: 8

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

For the red sauce

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 small onions, diced
• 28 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp dried oregano

For the cheese sauce

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 cups cottage cheese, blended
• 14 oz marinated artichoke hearts, drained
• 3 cups baby spinach

For assembly

• 12 oven-ready lasagna sheets

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat, then sear the ground beef until there are some golden brown patches.
2. Add in the onion and cook until softened, followed by the tomatoes, vinegar, red pepper flakes, garlic, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Allow this mixture to simmer while you make the cheese sauce.
3. In a new pan, melt your butter over medium heat, stir in the flour, and cook for another minute.
4. Turn the pan down to low and begin to slowly add milk, stirring between each addition of milk until the mixture is creamy.
5. Turn the heat back to medium and stir in your cream cheese, cottage cheese, artichokes, and spinach until the cream cheese is melted, the spinach is wilted and everything is combined.
6. Spread 1/4 of the cheese sauce in a greased 9x13 dish, followed by 4 lasagna sheets.
7. Next, add 1/2 of the red sauce and another 1/4 of the cheese sauce, and 4 lasagna sheets.
8. Add another 1/2 of the red sauce, 1/4 of the cheese sauce, and 4 lasagna sheets.
9. Top with the remaining cheese sauce and bake for 40 minutes.
10. Allow 15 minutes for cooling.

See Nutrition Info

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	462
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20.8g	27%
Saturated Fat 10.9g	55%
Cholesterol 97mg	32%
Sodium 473mg	21%
Total Carbohydrate 28.8g	10%
Dietary Fiber 5.6g	20%
Total Sugars 6.3g
Protein 34.6g
Vitamin D 2mcg	11%
Calcium 158mg	12%
Iron 13mg	71%
Potassium 875mg	19%

Related Recipes

Tuna Mac and Cheese Casserole

The Best One-Pot Goat Cheese Pasta

High Protein Chili in Under 30 Minutes

About the Author

Hi! I'm Alexandra, and I've been cooking and baking for about 12 years. My passion is making cheap, convenient, nutrient-dense food that still tastes amazing, and helping to perpetuate healthy eating habits without perpetuating diet culture. I want you to find recipes that make your body and your heart happy, without putting any food off limits, or making you feel guilty for loving delicious things.

By Alexandra Massengale