Swap Your Pasta For Deli Meat And Make A High-Protein Lasagna You'll Love

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Lasagna can be a great meal to make at home because it will easily feed the whole family, and possibly leave you with some leftovers to reheat, or eat cold if that's your jam. (Pro tip: When you want to add some interesting flavor, cinnamon is the unlikely spice you need to add to your lasagna.) But sometimes it can be tough to get the recipe just right — after all, there are mistakes everyone makes when cooking lasagna. If you don't have everything ready, it can take more time than necessary, and undercooking or overcooking the pasta can end up making the dish claggy or too firm.

So, maybe you should think completely out of the (pasta) box and use deli meat in place of the lasagna sheets. Using deli meat will give your lasagna a deliciously salty, savory flavor, with the other ingredients holding together just the same. Without the thick pasta, deli meat lasagna is even easier to cut, so you can get the perfect size of slice without everything falling apart. And, depending on the sauce you use, it can fit right into a keto diet for more protein-packed goodness in every bite. 

If you're going the keto route or just looking for a high-protein, low-carb lasagna, you'll need to start with the sauce. For a jarred sauce, check the label to make sure there isn't too much added sugar. Rao's Homemade Keto-Friendly Marinara Sauce is a good, affordable choice, and will mix beautifully — full of flavor, but not overpowering.

For the deli meat, sliced chicken, turkey, ham, or even roast beef are all great. If you want a flavor that's more neutral and lets the other ingredients shine, a regular chicken or turkey may be the way to go. But if you want to add some extra flavor, you can try a smoked turkey or salty ham. Because the pasta won't be there to soak up liquid, you'll want to use a low-moisture mozzarella. Similarly, there is a béchamel vs. ricotta debate when making lasagna. A properly thick béchamel can keep excess moisture in check, or you can drain the ricotta before assembling your lasagna. 

Browned ground beef or Italian sausage (or a combination of the two) can also work well in this lasagna, just be sure they're properly drained or patted dry with a paper towel, so the oil doesn't pool as you cook. Once everything is assembled, you can cook the lasagna as you normally would — just be sure you have a solid cheese and sauce layer on top, so the deli meat doesn't dry out. But it's all pretty simple to get right, and you don't even have to wait for the pasta to soften. One taste of this high-protein dish, and you may never go back.