This spinach and potato lasagna is the kind of cozy, cheesy meal the whole family will love. It’s easy to make, super satisfying, and a fun twist on classic comfort food. You may never go back to a noodle based lasagna again! Sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission.
This is the last recipe that I am sharing with you for the promotion with the Idaho Potato Commission, where I was asked to develop four recipes using a 10-pound bag of Idaho Potatoes that would feed a family of four for $25.
So far I have shared my Chicken Pot Shepard’s Pie, my Potato Gumbo and also my Sheet Pan Spatchcocked Chicken and Vegetables. Today I am sharing a vegetarian recipe and it is perfect for Meatless Monday: spinach and potato lasagna.
Of the four dishes I made for $25, this potato lasagna cost about $7.00. Cheese can be pricey, so finding it on sale or buying it in bulk and freezing it makes it affordable.
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Recipe highlights
- Economical: I created this recipe to show that you can make a hearty, nutritious and delicious meal for a family of four for under $25. Even though I first wrote this 5 years ago, it is still a very budget friendly meal especially if you purchase more expensive ingredients when it is on sale.
- Simple: The ingredients are easy to find in most grocery stores. No fancy spices or ingredients are needed. You do not need to parboil the potatoes or mess up any other pots and pans for this dish. This is another one of those one-pan dishes, which makes for easy cooking and easy cleaning.
- Texture: This lasagna has all the layers and flavors of a regular lasagna. We absolutely loved it with the potato layers instead of the noodles – hello, potatoes! We love our potatoes!
- Flavor: I used store bough marinara, which comes in a variety of flavor profiles. You can also use homemade. I always add more basil and garlic to kick up the flavor even more. I also used an Italian cheese blend which includes both mozzarella and parmesan, to bring on more cheese. Even though this is a meatless dinner, you can easily add ground meat to it.
- Versatile: Another great thing about this recipe is that it is very forgiving and is very easy to customize to your personal tastes. You can add more spinach and cheese, even use a meat-based marinara sauce. If you have any leftover bacon or Italian sausage, you can crumble it up and add it to the layers, too.
Ingredients you need
- Russet potatoes: I prefer russet potatoes to the waxier red or white potatoes. Be sure to choose a larger sized potato so the slices don’t melt in with the sauce and cheese.
- Marinara sauce: You can use store-bought or homemade marinara sauce.
- Ricotta cheese: I used whole milk ricotta, but you can also use skim.
- Shredded Italian cheese blend: You can also use shredded parmesan, mozzarella or a combination of cheeses.
- Frozen spinach: Be sure to thaw the spinach and squeeze out the excess water. If using fresh spinach, you will need to give them a quick sauté to remove the water.
Step-by-step directions
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- Layer potatoes. Cut peeled potatoes into ⅛-inch thick slices. Layer bottom of a greased pan with one layer of potato slices, overlapping slightly. Season potatoes lightly with salt.
- Add marinara. Spoon marinara evenly over potato slices and cover potatoes completely.
- Add cheese. Dab ricotta cheese evenly over the marinara sauce and spread evenly over marinara. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the ricotta. Dab spinach over the cheese.
- Add remaining layers. Add a second layer of potato slices. Continue with the salt, marinara, ricotta, shredded cheese and spinach.
- Finish assembly. Add a final layer of potato slices. Continue with the remaining salt and marinara, but this time add spinach before the ricotta, then top with shredded cheese.
- Bake. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until cheese is browned and bubbly.
Recipe tips and FAQs
Russet potatoes are not waxy like red or white potatoes. You can use any potato, just choose a larger size spud so the slices can overlap and hold up the sauce and cheese.
If you want to add meat to this dish, you can brown some ground meat or Italian sausage and layer it in with the marinara sauce. Or serve this dish with another family favorite, my oven baked meatballs, healthy fried chicken or my Spatchcocked Chicken.
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover lasagna in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Transfer to a resealable bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 4 months.
No need to pre-cook! As long as your slices are thin and evenly layered with sauce, they’ll bake to tender perfection right in the oven. Just be sure to cover the lasagna while it bakes to trap in steam.
Absolutely! You can assemble the lasagna a day in advance and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake. You can also bake it, cool it, and reheat individual slices throughout the week.
Definitely! This recipe is flexible—try adding sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, or even a layer of feta for extra flavor and richness.
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Spinach and Potato Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs russet potatoes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 24 oz marinara sauce store-bought or homemade
- 6 oz ricotta cheese
- 4 oz shredded Italian cheese blend approximately 1 cup
- 8 oz frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Peel and discard skin from the potatoes. Cut potatoes into ⅛-inch thick slices.
- Coat 9-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
- Layer bottom of pan with one layer of potato slices, overlapping slightly. Season potatoes lightly with salt.
- Spoon 1 cup of marinara evenly over potato slices, spreading the sauce evenly to cover potatoes completely.
- Dab approximately 2 oz of ricotta cheese evenly over the marinara sauce.Use the back of a spoon to press ricotta flat and spread evenly over marinara.
- Sprinkle approximately ⅓ cup of shredded cheese over the ricotta.
- Sprinkle ⅓ of the spinach over the cheese.
- Over the spinach, add a second layer of potato slices, overlapping slightly. Continue with the salt, marinara, ricotta, shredded cheese and spinach.
- Add a final layer of potato slices, overlapping slightly. Continue with the remaining salt and marinara, but this time add spinach before the ricotta, then top with shredded cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes until cheese is browned and bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
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Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
Disclosure: I was paid a stipend to develop a recipe cooking Idaho Potatoes. The opinions I expressed in this post are 100% all mine. If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t blog about it.
Love the potato spin! Great idea!