Homemade Lasagna is a special dish. It’s the ultimate comfort food. It’s complicated, and it takes awhile to make, but when the work is done, it is so satisfying to enjoy! Creamy ricotta and mozzarella cheese paired with delicately tender flat noodles, all with delicious marinara dancing through… perfection!
What if we told you that you could have all that reward without all that trouble?!
That’s just what we did recently in our Chef Classes! Our kid chefs made “Cheesy Skillet Lasagna”. This lasagna dish is created all in one pan, and is less than an hour, start to finish. You will LOVE it! Surprise your family tonight with this recipe! Serve with a simple toasted garlic bread and some healthy greens, and you have one amazing meal. We won’t tell anyone that you didn’t spend 3 hours working hard in the kitchen.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ medium onion, diced small
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with Italian seasoning
- 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning (omit if using seasoned diced tomatoes)
- 2 cups water
- 8 ounces curly-edged lasagna noodles (broken into 2 inch lengths)
- 1 lb. ground beef, browned & drained, optional
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chiffonade OR dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large & deep non-stick pan or pot (or electric skillet) over medium high heat. Add onion and ½ tsp salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
- Add noodle pieces, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, seasonings, and water. Stir to combine.
- Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and simmer, stirring frequently, until noodles are tender, roughly 20 minutes. If sauce looks dry at any point, add up to ¼ cup water to loosen. If using, add in cooked ground beef in last 10 minutes of simmering.
- Remove skillet from heat, and stir in parmesan and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Dot heaping tablespoons of ricotta over the noodles. Cover and skillet stand off the heat for 5 minutes to melt cheeses.