Friends, I’ve just discovered the holy grail of weeknight dinners in this skillet lasagna!
Picture this: savory ground beef, tender noodles, gooey cheese, and a robust tomato sauce in just one pan.
You get all the classic flavors you crave without all the fuss.
This dish is perfect for when you’re too tired to cook but want a cozy homemade meal that hits the spot!
Why You’ll Love This Skillet Lasagna
Weeknight Convenience: This one-pan lasagna skips the layering process, making it a quick and easy alternative to traditional lasagna. It’s perfect for busy weeknights!
Family-Friendly: The comforting and familiar flavors will satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. The entire family will devour it!
Minimal Cleanup: Cooked entirely in one skillet, cleanup is a breeze.
Comforting Flavors: With ground beef, tender noodles, spaghetti sauce, and cheese, this cozy meal tastes like classic lasagna.
Ingredients
- Lasagna Sheets: They’re uncooked and broken into bite-sized pieces for quick cooking.
- Ground Beef: It adds savoriness and heartiness for an oh-so-cozy dish.
- Spaghetti Sauce: I use jarred sauce for convenience. Use any brand you like, or elevate the dish with homemade sauce.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes: To enhance the texture and taste of the sauce. For more flavor, use canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes.
- Onion and Garlic: No Italian dish is right without this aromatic duo! They boost the flavor, adding depth and deliciousness.
- Seasonings: I use dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper for classic Italian flavor.
- Mozzarella Cheese: This ooey-gooey topping is the crowning glory of the skillet.
- Parmesan Cheese: This salty, nutty cheese adds a touch of indulgence to every bite.
- Fresh Basil: It adds a bright, fresh flavor, elevating the dish.
How to Make Skillet Lasagna
This dish has all the comforting flavors you crave with the convenience of a one-pan meal. And it’s ready in a fraction of the time.
1. Brown. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
2. Stir and simmer. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, chopped onion, minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Boil. Boil the lasagna pieces in lightly salted water for 8 minutes. Drain.
4. Combine. Add the cooked lasagna pieces to the skillet and stir.
5. Top. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the skillet.
6. Broil. Broil the skillet for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly.
7. Garnish and serve. Garnish with fresh basil. Serve hot.
Tips for the Best Skillet Lasagna
Skillet lasagna is perfect for a cozy night in or even for entertaining. It looks impressive, but secretly it’s so easy to make.
And with these tips, it gets even more easy and tasty!
- Thin it out. If the sauce gets too thick while simmering, add a splash of water to thin it out.
- Skip the boil. Instead of cooking the pasta separately, cook it in the sauce. Just add 1 1/2 cups water or beef broth to ensure it cooks properly.
- Switch it up. If you don’t have lasagna sheets, you can substitute extra-wide egg noodles or any other short pasta shape.
- Dollop with ricotta. For a more authentic flavor, dollop ricotta on top right before you pop the skillet under the broiler.
- Make it your own. Add sautéed vegetables like zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, or spinach. You can also swap the ground beef for Italian sausage, ground pork, or chicken.
- Make it a meal. I love serving it with a green salad and crusty garlic bread for a well-balanced meal.
How to Store
Like most Italian dishes, this recipe is quite filling. So, if you wind up with leftovers, here’s how to store them.
To Store: Store leftovers in an air-tight container or tightly covered with aluminum foil. Refrigerate for up to 3 to 5 days.
To Freeze: Wrap the cooled leftovers tightly in plastic wrap and foil or store in an air-tight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: Cover the skillet with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350°F. You can also microwave individual servings for 2-3 minutes on high. Be sure to check and stir halfway through.
Skillet Lasagna
4
servings15
minutes35
minutes210
This skillet lasagna has all the flavors of traditional lasagna without the fuss of layering. Packed with savory ground beef, tender noodles, and plenty of cheese, this one-pan wonder hits the spot!
Ingredients
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 (28-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups lasagna sheets, broken into 2-inch pieces
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Fresh basil, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring, until browned and crumbly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain any excess grease.
- Stir in the spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, chopped onion, minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- While the sauce simmers, fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring it to a rolling boil. Add the broken lasagna sheets and cook until tender yet firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta.
- Add the cooked lasagna pieces to the skillet with the sauce. Stir well to ensure the pasta is completely coated with the sauce.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the top of the skillet.
- Position an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler. Place the skillet under the hot broiler and cook until the cheese is golden and bubbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and let it cool slightly.
- Just before serving, garnish with fresh basil and additional Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve and enjoy!
We made this lasagne skillet tonight- followed the recipe exactly except- we added a little more ricotta to the top and we didn’t have a cast iron skillet, so we used an oven safe skillet. We baked at 375 until cheese golden (about 15 min). The meal was easy to make and delicious. Thank you!
So glad you guys enjoyed it, Michelle!
Can this be done in slow cooker? Would you still boil strips? No stove. I’m always looking for slow cooker recipes.
Hi, Patricia!
Okay, so I’ve never tried making this in a slow cooker. But I THINK it would work just fine. And no, I don’t think you’d have to boil the noodles first.
Here’s how I would adjust the recipe:
1. Brown the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain.
2. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker and add the spaghetti sauce, diced tomatoes, chopped onion, minced garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
3. Break the lasagna sheets into 2-inch pieces and add them directly to the slow cooker.
4. Gently stir the mixture to ensure the pasta is coated with sauce.
5. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, until the noodles are tender.
6. About 30 minutes before serving, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan over the top.
7. Replace the lid and continue cooking until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
If you try it, let me know how it turns out. Kim may want to add that option to the recipe. 🙂