Skillet Lasagna

Never made a skillet lasagna recipe? It’s time. If you’re looking for a lasagna that is easy to make, cooks quickly and is filled with traditional flavors, it’s definitely time! Oh, how about one that’s beloved by the whole family, including picky eaters? Yup, it’s most definitely time!

Our skillet lasagna is packed with familiar flavors of ground beef, diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and cottage cheese. The cheese layer gets a serious upgrade with cream of onion soup, which lends notes of savory onion and decadent cream. Top it all off with two types of cheese—melty mozzarella and buttery, nutty Colby-Monterey Jack—and this 30-minute recipe is a real winner.

What’s the right pan for skillet lasagna? You can use any large skillet, but nonstick is the best skillet for easy cleaning. Of course, with proper seasoning, most cast-iron skillets are just as nonstick as coated pans. So, the choice is yours!

Ingredients for Skillet Lasagna

• No-cook lasagna noodles: Traditional lasagna recipes take up to an hour in the oven to cook. Our skillet lasagna recipe needs only about half that time. It may seem like that’s not enough time for the noodles to cook through, but the noodles soften very quickly on the hot stovetop.
• Ground beef: You can use any ground beef for this recipe. 80/20 blends will be the most flavorful, but lean ground beef cooks up just as well.
• Diced tomatoes: We use canned tomatoes pre-seasoned with basil, oregano and garlic. This reduces the number of seasonings needed so the dish can come together in fewer steps.
• Spaghetti sauce: Store-bought spaghetti sauce can vary in flavor and intensity. We recommend tasting the meat sauce after it’s heated through. You can then adjust the flavor with extra salt or seasonings as needed.
• Cream of onion soup: Cream of onion soup is an atypical ingredient for lasagna. It adds a rich flavor and creamy texture to the cottage cheese layer.
• Cottage cheese: We use cottage cheese in skillet lasagna, but you can substitute ricotta if you prefer.
• Shredded cheese: Mozzarella and Colby-Monterey Jack cheeses create a perfect cheesy topping. The marbled orange-and-white cheese adds a fun twist to lasagna, bringing a creamy, slightly tangy finish.

Directions

Step 1: Make the meat sauce

In a large skillet, cook the beef and minced garlic over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink, breaking the beef into crumbles as you cook. Drain and discard the grease. Stir in the diced tomatoes and spaghetti sauce. Cook until heated through. Then, transfer the meat sauce to a large bowl.

Step 2: Make the cottage cheese mixture

In a small bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of onion soup, eggs, cottage cheese and Italian seasoning.

Step 3: Layer the skillet lasagna

Return 1 cup of the meat sauce to the skillet. Spread it evenly in the skillet. Layer with 1 cup of the cottage cheese mixture, 1-1/2 cups of the meat sauce and half of the noodles, breaking them to fit if needed. Repeat the layers of cottage cheese mixture, meat sauce and noodles. Top the lasagna with the remaining meat sauce.

Step 4: Cook the lasagna

Bring the lasagna to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 to 17 minutes, until the noodles are tender.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Sprinkle the top with the shredded Colby-Monterey Jack and mozzarella cheeses. Cover, and let stand for two minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Editor’s Tip: If the lasagna seems a little soupy, let it rest, uncovered, for 10 to 20 minutes. The noodles will continue to absorb the sauce and firm up.

Step 5: Plate and serve

To serve, use the edge of a large spoon to cut spoon-sized portions of lasagna. Scoop each spoonful onto a plate, layering it if desired so it looks like stacked lasagna.

Editor’s Tip: Garnish the lasagna with chopped fresh parsley or basil, if desired, to give the dish a colorful finish.

Recipe Variations

• Use another condensed soup: If you can’t find cream of onion soup, swap in another condensed soup—or make homemade cream of chicken soup. If desired, add a little onion powder or onion soup mix to amp up the onion vibes.
• Change up the meat: Try swapping in lean meats like ground chicken or turkey. Alternatively, you can increase the richness by replacing some (or all) of the ground beef with flavorful ground pork. Or use bulk Italian sausage to make a sausage lasagna.
• Use different cheeses: Replace some or all of the shredded cheese with other melting cheeses, such as provolone, fontina or cheddar.
• Add vegetables: Add cooked vegetables, such as spinach, mushrooms, eggplant or zucchini, when layering. You can also skip the meat and turn this recipe into a vegetable lasagna.

How to Store Skillet Lasagna

Store skillet lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it lasts for up to five days. You can also freeze lasagna in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Let the lasagna thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Then, reheat it in the microwave until it’s warmed through.

Learn more about how to freeze lasagna with our complete guide.

Skillet Lasagna Tips

Taste of Home

What to serve with skillet lasagna?

Serve skillet lasagna with classic lasagna sides, such as a side salad and garlic bread.

What kind of pan do you use for lasagna?

Traditional lasagna recipes use a 13×9-inch casserole dish. However, we use a large skillet for our skillet lasagna recipe since we cook on the stovetop. You can use any type of skillet, but a nonstick skillet or a cast-iron skillet makes cleanup a breeze.

Do you have to boil lasagna noodles before you put them in the pan?

We use no-cook lasagna noodles, so we do not boil them before adding them to the skillet. These noodles absorb moisture from the sauce, softening as the lasagna simmers. Do not substitute cooked noodles for this recipe, as the lasagna would turn out too saucy and watery.