Winter on the ranch presents challenges and tasks that require a lot of hard work and plenty of resilience. With the ground often frozen and covered in snow, ranchers brave the cold to care for livestock, ensuring animals have adequate food and water. Whether you are spending your days with activities such as breaking ice on water troughs, feeding hay to cattle, and preparing for the upcoming calving season, or you are enjoying any of Colorado’s other winter offerings for fun, this lasagna will replenish your energy and prepare you to do it all again tomorrow.
Beef, cattle, and calves are Colorado’s top agricultural products, which means that our farmers, ranchers, feedlots, and processors feed the world. Organizations like the Eastern Plains Cowbelles support Colorado’s strong, and vibrant cattle industry by educating and promoting the ranching and beef industries. They also support the small communities they live in by raising funds for families in need. The Eastern Plains Cowbelles share this month’s Colorado Proud Beef Lasagna recipe.
This recipe blends Italian traditions with cowboy flair straight from the ranch, using many locally sourced ingredients. We encourage you to visit a local farmers’ market and get to know your farmers and ranchers through our Farm Fresh Directory, available in English and Spanish. You can also explore Colorado Proud to find local producers.
Shared by the Eastern Plains Cowbelles and the Loutzenhiser Ranch

Yield: 12 servings | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Colorado Proud ground beef
- 2 tbsp High Plains Spice Company Italian Seasoning
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 24-ounce jar of roasted garlic and herb marinara sauce
- 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes or one jar of Disanti Farms canned tomatoes
- 24 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1 ½ cups of cottage cheese
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 box lasagna noodles
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt, pepper, and garlic salt, to taste
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Prepare the Sauce
- In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium heat.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, minced garlic, and diced onion.
- Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.
- Add the marinara sauce and diced tomatoes. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Assemble the Lasagna
- Begin by spreading a thin layer of the liquid portion of the meat sauce over the bottom of a 9×13-inch deep baking dish.
- Next, add a layer of lasagna noodles.
- Follow this with a layer of meat sauce.
- Sprinkle a layer of Parmesan cheese on top,
- Then, add a generous layer of mozzarella cheese.
- Next, spread a layer of cottage cheese.
- Repeat steps 2 through 6 until the dish is full, ensuring that the final layer is mozzarella cheese on top.
Bake the Lasagna
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
- Remove the cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, allowing the cheese to become golden and bubbly.
Try this dish with Teroldego wine from Sauvage Spectrum Winery in Palisade. Sauvage makes this wine from dark, inky grapes that grow well in high-altitude areas. It has intense flavors of black cherry, blackberry pie, vanilla, and a smooth texture. You’ll also notice hints of dried figs, star anise, and a touch of cocoa, balanced by light, soft tannins.
If you prefer a non-alcoholic beverage, try Curious Elixors Curious No. 8 Black and Blue Amaro with hints of cinnamon, blackberries, and more.