Skillet Lasagna

As a former Pampered Chef consultant, I am pretty familiar with their Skillet Lasagna.  It is one of Pampered Chef’s top recipes on their website and for good reason – a whole meal cooked quickly on the stove top in one pan.  But then I discovered the “America’s Test Kitchen”, and they have their own recipe for Skillet Lasagna.

I liked the flavor of the marinara sauce and ricotta cheese mixture of the Pampered Chef version, but I really enjoyed the diced tomatoes in the America’s Test Kitchen version as well.  So, I combined them into one super duper recipe.  Please don’t boil the noodles separately as I’ve seen some recipes suggest.  It is a complete waste of time and extra pot.

And thank you Lori for encouraging me to post this.  The photo isn’t wonderful due to the thick cloud cover, but the recipe is worth posting because it is  easy and delicious.  And that is what matters more.

**I have updated my pumpkin pancake recipe and eliminated the applesauce because the pureed pumpkin I believe is making my pancakes too moist.  Tried white whole wheat today in them and it was very tasty too.  This weekend I’m making another shortbread recipe trying to replicate Panera’s and a old passed down recipe for made from scratch white bread.

Skillet Lasagna
serves 5-6

1 – (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes
water
1 Tb. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced fine
1/2 tsp. salt
3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (I omit this because of the kids)
1 lb. total of ground beef and ground pork; or just ground beef
10 lasagna noodles, broken into 2″ length (less messy performed inside a kitchen towel)
8 oz.  favorite pasta sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus 1/4 cup more to top
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 Tb. dried parsley
1/2 Tb. dried basil (optional)
1 cup ricotta cheese

1.  You will need a large 12″ non-stick skillet with a lid.  (I like my Caphalon if you need a suggestion).  No, that is not Pampered Chef.
2.  Dump the entire can of diced tomatoes in a big measuring cup.  Fill the rest of the way with water until you get 1 quart of liquid.
3.   Meanwhile…. Turn the burner to medium heat and heat the olive oil.  Add onion and salt.  Stir once in a while for 5 minutes.
4.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes.  Stir about 30 seconds.
5.  Add meat and cook until brown/done.
6.  Sprinkle the lasagna noodles (already broken) on top of the meat.  Dump the diced tomato mix on top of the noodles and the pasta sauce.  I try and make sure the noodles are in contact with the liquid.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes.  Stir once in a while.  The pasta should be tender at the end.
7.  In a small bowl, mix the Parm cheese, mozz cheese,  parsley, basil, and ricotta.
8.  Season the pasta with salt and pepper to taste.  Dollop the ricotta mixture on top of the pasta.  Cover and remove from heat for 5 minutes.
9.  Sprinkle another 1/4 cup. shredded Parm on top and serve.