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Feb 9, 2021 By Jessica Beacom

Easy Skillet Lasagna

Egg-Free
Gluten-free
Nut-free
Jump to Recipe

When your to-do list is long and you’ve got a hungry family to feed, it’s tempting to order takeout! But before you grab the phone, consider this Easy Skillet Lasagna instead. With jumbled-up ‘layers’ of lean ground beef, curly lasagna noodles, vegetables, and cheese it’s a hearty and wholesome meal the entire family will love. 

This post was created in partnership with the Minnesota Beef Council. 

A blue cast iron skillet filled with cooked easy skillet lasagna topped with golden bubbly mozzarella cheese

Skillet Lasagna – also known as the most delicious shortcut.

Everyone loves a well-crafted lasagna artfully crafted with layers of noodles, slow-simmered meat sauce, and hand-grated cheeses but let’s be realistic, not everyone has time for that kind of cooking. We see you there, nodding your head in agreement!

That’s why we’ve partnered with our friends at the Minnesota Beef Council to bring you this fabulously easy yet incredibly delicious Skillet Lasagna. It’s made all in one pan so clean up is a breeze, and the prep time is under 20 minutes so you can have a hearty, home-cooked meal on the table in under 45 minutes any day of the week. 

A close up of Easy Skillet Lasagna with a serving spoon scooping up a hefty portion of creamy and cheesy lasagna

What You’ll Need to Make Stovetop Lasagna

  • Lean Ground Beef –  A 3-ounce serving of lean beef provides more than 10 essential nutrients including protein, iron, zinc, and vitamins B12 and B6 making it a smart choice for family-friendly meals like this one 
  • Bell pepper
  • Onions
  • Zucchini
  • Garlic
  • Marinara sauce – Use your favorite jarred marinara or pasta (we LOVE this one)
  • Uncooked lasagna noodles – Skip the ‘No-Boil’ noodles and opt for good ol’ lasagna noodles (both gluten-free and wheat-based noodles will work)
  • Cottage cheese – Ricotta cheese will also work but cottage cheese is easy to find in any grocery store and is budget-friendly
  • Mozzarella cheese
  • Fresh basil
  • Large skillet with lid – A skillet with a heavy-bottom and tight-fitting lid, like this 3.6-quart enameled cast-iron casserole – works really well for this recipe. You’ll need a skillet that’s about 12-inches in diameter for best results. 

Easy Skillet Lasagna served in a bowl on top of romaine lettuce with shaved parmesan cheese

3 Reasons to Make this Easy Lasagna Recipe

In case you need some convincing (beyond that saucy-cheesy goodness that just screams ‘comfort food’) here are a few reasons to make this easy lasagna recipe this week:

  1. It’s packed with protein. High-quality protein, like that found in beef, plays an increasingly important role in muscle maintenance, weight management, and the prevention of chronic diseases. Research also shows the iron, zinc, and B vitamins found in beef play an essential role in developing and maintaining cognitive ability in children and adults alike.
  2. It’s faster and far less labor-intensive to make than traditional lasagna. While delicious, traditional lasagna requires layering the ingredients into a casserole dish, then baking for 45 minutes or longer. Our easy skillet lasagna is made all in one pan and you can have it on the table in under 45 minutes with just ONE PAN and ONE spatula to wash. Amazing, really. 
  3. Your family will LOVE it! And you’ll love that it’s a healthy meal that will leave your crew satisfied and nourished.

How to Make this Skillet Lasagna Recipe

Making lasagna in a skillet is definitely the way to go. You need only one pan and one spatula or spoon to pull it off. We like to call it the ‘lazy genius’ method of lasagna making. Here’s how it’s done to give you an idea of just how easy it is. The full recipe is below so if you’re already like, “Heck yes, I’m in!” then scroll down to get the recipe. 

First, start by placing a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid (this one is our go-to skillet for just about everything). When the skillet is hot, add a little oil along with the ground beef, diced zucchini, onions, and bell peppers, Italian seasoning, and garlic. That’s right, just put it all in there and break it up with a spoon. Then cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is almost cooked through. 

Ground beef, marinara sauce, and vegetables being cooked in a skillet for lasagna skillet

Next, you’ll add a jar of your favorite marinara plus some water to the skillet along with the beef and vegetables. Then crank the heat up a bit to bring the sauce just to a boil.

Once the sauce has come to a boil, use your hands to break the lasagna pieces into roughly 2-inch pieces (no need to be super precise) and add to the pan. Stir the noodles into the sauce, then place the lid on the skillet and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to keep the noodles from sticking together, or until the noodles are tender. 

Cooking process shot of stirring lasagna noodles into Easy Skillet Lasagna

This is where it gets really good, the part where you add the cheese. Stir the cottage cheese and half of the shredded mozzarella cheese into the noodles. Cook an additional 5 minutes uncovered.

Finally, add the remaining mozzarella cheese to the top, place the lid on the skillet and remove from heat. Allow the lasagna to stand for 5 minutes while the sauce thickens and the cheese melts. Remove the lid and if desired, place the skillet under the broiler and broil for 3-5 minutes to crisp up the cheese. Garnish with fresh basil and serve. 

A wooden serving spoon scooping a hefty portion of easy cheesy skillet lasagna out of a cast iron skillet

How to Serve this Incredibly Easy Lasagna

The first that comes to mind when we think of lasagna is salad and garlic bread, but sautéed or roasted green beans or broccoli also make a delicious addition to your plate. 

Easy Skillet Lasagna served in a ceramic bowl on top of Romaine lettuce with garlic bread and shaved parmesan on the side

How to Store Skillet Lasagna

Any leftover lasagna can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months. 

More Family-Pleasing Beef Recipes You’ll Love

  • Sheet Pan Mini Meatloaf with Vegetables
  • Healthy Taco Hotdish
  • Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
  • Slow Cooker BBQ Beef with Simple Coleslaw

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Let's Get Cookin'

Easy Skillet Lasagna

When your to-do list is long and you’ve got a hungry family to feed, it’s tempting to order takeout but before you grab the phone, consider this Easy Skillet Lasagna instead. With jumbled up ‘layers’ of lean ground beef, curly lasagna noodles, vegetables, and cheese it’s a hearty and wholesome meal the entire family will love.

  • Author: Jessica Beacom
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6 1x
  • Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Egg-Free
Overhead view of easy skillet lasagna in a bowl with a side salad and garlic bread
Print Recipe
★★★★★ 4.8 from 6 reviews

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon avocado oil or olive oil
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (we use 90-93%)
  • 1 medium zucchini, diced small (¼-inch)
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced small  (¼-inch)
  • 1 small onion, diced small  (¼-inch)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce of your choice
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 ½ cup water
  • 8 ounces uncooked lasagna noodles, broken into small pieces (gluten-free if needed)
  • 1 cup cottage cheese, lightly drained if there is a lot of liquid (may substitute part-skim ricotta cheese)
  • 6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (1 ½ cup)
  • Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

  1. Place a 12-inch skillet with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, add the oil, ground beef, zucchini, bell pepper, onions, and garlic. Use a spoon or spatula to break up the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until onions and peppers start to soften and beef is almost cooked through. Drain excess fat if there is quite a bit in the pan. 
  2. Add marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and water to the skillet with the meat and veggie mixture and bring to a boil. 
  3. Add the broken lasagna noodles and stir. Reduce heat to low and place the lid on the skillet. 
  4. Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes, or until the noodles are tender. 
  5. Remove the lid and stir in the cottage cheese and ¾ cup mozzarella cheese. Stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes uncovered.  
  6. Sprinkle with remaining ¾ cup mozzarella cheese. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow it to stand, covered, for 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. Broil for 3-4 minutes, if desired, to crisp up the cheese then garnish with chopped fresh basil, if desired. 

 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/6 recipe
  • Calories: 425
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Sodium: 750 mg
  • Fat: 16 g
  • Saturated Fat: 6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 43 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 31 g

Pin it now, Make it later!

Easy cheesy skillet lasagna being scooped out of a cast iron skillet with a wooden spoon. Text overlay with title of recipe for Pinterest.


This post was made possible by our friends at the Minnesota Beef Council. Although we received compensation for this post, the opinions expressed here are – as always – 100% our own. Thank you for supporting the great companies we work with thereby allowing us to continue creating great recipes and content for you.

All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!

Photo Credit: The photos in this blog post were taken by Jess of Plays Well with Butter. 

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About Jessica Beacom

Jessica is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist living in Boulder, CO with her hubby and two daughters. She's been described as a 'real food evangelist' and loves sharing her knowledge with others to help them break free of the diet mentality and find their own food freedom. In her spare time she enjoys CrossFit, telemark skiing, mountain biking, teaching herself how to play the banjo and camping out under the stars.

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    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. JeannieC says

    February 10, 2021 at 2:39 pm

    I’m Italian would NEVER use cottage cheese in lasagna. There is no reason to! Part skim ricotta is used in lasagna if you want to lower calories. In addition, I have found Barilla GF no boil lasagna noodles are the best.

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      February 10, 2021 at 3:23 pm

      You are right in that cottage cheese is not authentic and that part-skim ricotta can also be used in this recipe. Both are great options. We like the Barilla Gluten-Free No-Boil Noodles as well but found that regular noodles worked better in this recipe during testing.

      Reply
  2. Shannon Bowden says

    February 10, 2021 at 5:04 pm

    Great weeknight recipe! Love the addition of the veggies in the sauce. Just a note that directions don’t state when to add the Italian seasoning. I used the mini lasagna noodles (Mafalda) and they worked well, just needed some extra time to soften. I also processed the cottage cheese in the food processor to get it nice and smooth. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      February 10, 2021 at 5:09 pm

      Just updated the directions to add the Italian seasoning with the marinara sauce and water. Thanks for catching that! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.

      Reply
  3. Clare says

    February 11, 2021 at 4:42 pm

    I made this tonight with some changes to work with what I had on hand (whole what noodles, grated carrot instead of zucchini and Italian sausage instead of ground beef). It was delightful and quick; we will definitely be repeating!

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      February 12, 2021 at 6:16 am

      Those sound like delicious changes! I’m bet the Italian sausage gave it a nice boost of flavor. Thanks for sharing and glad you enjoyed this recipe.

      Reply
  4. Lesli Raymond says

    February 15, 2021 at 3:44 pm

    The 1 tsp of oil is not in instructions. Does it go in with vegetables and beef?

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      February 18, 2021 at 5:36 am

      Sorry about that! Yes, it goes in the skillet along with the beef and vegetables. Directions have been updated.

      Reply
  5. Catherine says

    February 21, 2021 at 4:47 pm

    Very delicious! I also used carrots instead of zucchini (because I had them) and blended the cottage cheese. My store was out of mozzarella so I used provolone. Picky husband loved it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      February 24, 2021 at 7:52 am

      That’s great! Thank you for sharing and provolone sounds like a very delicious sub for mozzarella. Yum!

      Reply
  6. Shelly says

    February 21, 2021 at 7:03 pm

    Delicious! Much easier than classic lasagne and I love the extra veggies in it.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      February 23, 2021 at 12:40 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to share.

      Reply
  7. Sue says

    February 24, 2021 at 4:22 am

    under cuisine it says GF but its not with the noodles….so you think not adding them and lessen the water would work for noodle free?

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      February 24, 2021 at 7:04 am

      Hey Sue! We use gluten-free noodles in this recipe which makes it gluten-free. We have not tested it without noodles so I’m not certain that would work.

      Reply
  8. Emily T. says

    February 24, 2021 at 10:19 pm

    This recipe was incredibly easy and equally delicious! Enjoyed by the whole family. Definitely adding this to the regular rotation. Thank you for sharing!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Stacie Hassing says

      February 25, 2021 at 8:05 am

      Family-friendly recipe for the win! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  9. Gabbi says

    February 28, 2021 at 8:07 pm

    This is so good I made in twice in one week! I don’t keep lasagna noodles on hand so I made it as is the first time and used gluten free fusilli noodles the second time. We have a lot of deer meat and it’s all in 2# packages so I doubled the meat both times, used 10 oz pasta and just upped the water by about 1/2C. My whole family, including a super picky 4 year old, ate it up!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      March 2, 2021 at 8:40 am

      I love how you modified this to use what you have on hand – thanks so much for sharing! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it!

      Reply
  10. Julie says

    March 2, 2021 at 10:15 am

    This skillet lasagna is a win!! So good that I’ll never bake it again!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessica Beacom says

      March 2, 2021 at 11:09 am

      Glad you enjoyed the meal and the simplified method.

      Reply
  11. Jessica Danyo says

    March 9, 2021 at 7:32 pm

    Much easier than normal lasagna but when the noodles weren’t cooked at the end of the 30 minutes, and no liquid was left, I added more water so it watered down the sauce. Because of this, it was a little bland. It also needed salt and pepper added which we added at the dinner table.

    ★★★★

    Reply

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The Real Food Dietitians is the passion-driven product of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists Stacie Hassing and Jessica Beacom. They’ve combined their love of nutrition, health and real food with the concepts of ease and convenience to bring you recipes that are big on flavor but short on ingredients.

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