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Skillet Lasagna: All The Flavors Of A Traditional Lasagna…Just In a Skillet

Hi friends!

I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite go-to dinners is a nice homemade lasagna. It’s always very filling and we always have leftovers, so it’s perfect for a busy week where I know we’ll only have enough time or mental strength to just…heat up a meal. Happens to the best of us, so it’s nice to have these foolproof dinners up your sleeve.

But what do you do when you’re craving that lasagna flavor without all the layers and bake time?

That’s what I’ve been trying to test this week…by trying a skillet lasagna.

And before the gears start turning too quickly–no, this does not mean layering up the skillet like you would a casserole dish with noodles, protein, noodles–you get the point.

A skillet lasagna takes the flavors of your favorite lasagna and mixes them together in one skillet. Yes, you prepare your filling, stir in uncooked lasagna noodles (that you may want to break into smaller pieces) and top off with cheese once the noodles are cooked. Sounds simple enough. Plus, there’s no baking involved.

But Is it worth it, or should you just stick with a traditional lasagna?

For this week’s review, we’re going to look more at the concept of the skillet lasagna versus an actual recipe, however, if you’re looking for a reference: this combination is one I use the most whenever I make a lasagna.

The Lasagna Filling In The Skillet

For starters, yes, making this skillet lasagna appears to be faster than making it the traditional way.

What you do is start by cooking the filling in the skillet until browned and cooked through. For my lasagna, I used ground turkey, garlic, onion, and Italian seasoning. Once cooked through and the extra fat and liquid drained off, I added pasta sauce. In this case, use your favorite pasta sauce and taste if any additional seasoning is needed. To your liking, of course.

You can add as many or as few veggies as you want for this filling. In this case, you don’t really need to worry about fitting into a casserole dish, right? As long as it fits into a skillet, you’re good to go. My favorite addition to any lasagna has always been spinach, so I decided to keep that the same here.

Keep in mind that if you’re using other veggies, they may need to be cooked through first instead of just stewing in the pasta sauce 😉

Once you have your filling set to your liking, that’s when you can move on to the lasagna noodles!

To Cook Or Not To Cook Your Lasagna Noodles

This shortcut of lasagna does not require you to cook your lasagna sheets, as they are meant to cook in the simmering filling. Just like noodles cooked too long, you don’t want the same thing to happen to your lasagna sheets. Meaning–mushy, falling apart, you get it…

I ended up using Barilla Gluten-Free Lasagna Sheets. I use this brand for my regular baked lasagna and I have to say that they ended up working quite well.

This part is where I would stop following any recipe instructions. These noodles will not be cooked per the box’s instructions. Whether you’re using gluten-free sheets or not, cooking the lasagna sheets in the skillet will require a bit more time and patience. You’ll want to make sure each sheet is covered in the filling, so it gets the most out of the simmer. I also recommend giving it a good stir every few minutes. My noodles took closer to 30 minutes to be completely cooked through and edible.

This may vary depending on the lasagna sheets you end up using. The only type I do not recommend is fresh pasta. You just have a higher chance of it turning to mush, which we certainly don’t want.

Finishing Off The Skillet Lasagna

Like my traditional lasagna, I like adding a layer of ricotta cheese. For this skillet recipe, I did the same thing. The only exception was that I didn’t have a full layer of the ricotta, but rather dollops of it before topping off the rest of the surface area with some shredded mozzarella. Yum!

This of course is up to you. If you include dairy in your lasagna or not, this is just how I made it. I covered the skillet for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt and finally placed the uncovered skillet under the broiler for a few minutes. That was just to brown the cheese a little bit. Not mandatory, but it certainly looks more appetizing to me 😉

Grey’s Grade: 4/5

If you’re in a time crunch or don’t want to use an oven, then I certainly recommend making a skillet lasagna. Would I call it a better alternative than just making a traditional lasagna? Not at all. I don’t think traditional lasagnas take much time to prepare to begin with. Plus, they are filling and often result in leftovers that can be reheated in the oven. Honestly, it’s fantastic.

This different way of making lasagna can be placed in its own category as a skillet pasta dish. It’s delicious because it includes all of our favorite flavors of lasagna and omits the need for multiple dishes and cooking tools. That in itself is a win–I admit that.

So, will I make more skillet lasagnas instead of traditional oven-baked lasagnas? I may make it seasonal on those days when I don’t want the oven on 😉 How’s that?

What are your favorite one-skillet meals? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to give them a try!

Check Out My Reviews!

• Crispy And Cheesy Tortellini Pasta Salad
• Delicious Gluten-Free Chicken Parmesan
• Baked Orange Chicken With Panda Express Copycat Sauce!

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