Skillet Lasagna

Why You Should Definitely Make Lasagna in a Skillet

• It’s ready in a fraction of the time. Cook and assemble the ingredients in one pan, and the finished lasagna cooks in half the time of a traditional lasagna recipe. It’s perfect for nights when I’m craving lasagna, without having to prep, layer, and bake the real thing.
• It leaves the oven free. While this skillet lasagna bubbles away on the stovetop, I can use my oven to bake a batch of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies at the same time. Win!
• Presentation is on point. There’s something rustic about preparing recipes in a skillet, whether it’s skillet apple pie or chicken parmesan. I love the way this skillet lasagna looks on the table.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Check out the ingredients you’ll need to make this easy skillet lasagna recipe, along with some notes and substitutions you might find helpful. Scroll down to the printable recipe card below the post for the full recipe with amounts.

• Heavy Cream – Or half-and-half. 
• Eggs – Lightly beaten.
• Ricotta Cheese – Mild, creamy ricotta is an Italian whey cheese. If you don’t have ricotta, mascarpone is a good substitute. You can also use cottage cheese.
• Parmesan Cheese – Freshly shredded.
• Olive Oil – Or your choice of cooking oil for sautéeing.
• Ground Beef – I recommend lean ground beef so the lasagna doesn’t turn out too greasy. You can also make this recipe with ground pork, chicken, or turkey. Another great way I like to zhuzh up lasagna is to use leftover shredded beef, like pot roast or chuck roast.
• Italian Sausage – This can be hot or mild Italian sausage. Replace the sausage with ground pork if you’d like.
• Crushed Tomatoes – Canned San Marzano tomatoes are the best as they’re sweeter. However, any kind of canned crushed tomatoes will do the trick.
• Herbs – Basil and oregano, or you can use an Italian herb blend. If you’d prefer to use fresh herbs, you’ll need about three times the amount of fresh herbs as dried. I also like to add crushed red pepper flakes for a little kick (you can leave these out if you’re sensitive to spice).
• Lasagna Noodles – No-bake lasagna noodles work great in this recipe. BUT if my Italian mother-in-law is reading this, I definitely do not use no-bake noodles. Only homemade egg noodles in this household, yes ma’am. (Joking aside, you can use whichever type of lasagna noodle you’d like.)
• Mozzarella – Rounding out the trio of cheeses in this skillet lasagna is shredded mozzarella cheese. Make sure to shred it fresh from the block. Freshly shredded cheese melts more smoothly than pre-shredded, packaged cheese, which comes with an anti-caking coating.

How to Make Skillet Lasagna

I make this lasagna in my cast-iron skillet. Choose a large enough skillet (10″ or 12″) with high walls to accommodate all those layers, and avoid overflowing. If you don’t have cast-iron, though, don’t worry. Any heavy skillet works perfectly here. Follow the steps below, and scroll to the recipe card for the printable instructions.

• Prepare the cheese filling. First, combine the heavy cream and beaten eggs with ricotta, parmesan, and freshly cracked pepper. Set that aside for now.
• Cook the ground meat. Meanwhile, heat your skillet. Then, brown the ground beef and sausage with a little oil until it’s cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic.

• Make the sauce. Now, add your crushed tomatoes, herbs, and red pepper flakes. Stir everything together and let that cook through for a few minutes. Transfer the meat sauce to a bowl, leaving about 1 ½ cups of sauce in the pan.

• Assemble the lasagna. Next, spread ⅓ of the ricotta cheese mixture over the sauce leftover in the pan. Top this with ¼ of the remaining meat sauce, then lasagna noodles (you’ll need to break up the noodles to fit). Repeat with the remaining ingredients, ending with the meat sauce.
• Add cheese and cook. Lastly, sprinkle over shredded mozzarella. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes. This skillet lasagna is done when the noodles are tender and the cheese is bubbly and melted. 

Recipe Tips

• Don’t sweat the assembly. Don’t stress about the amounts or layering! Start and finish with meat sauce, and top with shredded cheese. I usually work in thirds, but if the layers are a bit uneven, or if one has more sauce than the others, your lasagna will still taste amazing. I promise!
• No lid? No problem. In years past, I didn’t have a skillet with a lid that fits. So, I’d always cover my skillet lasagna with foil instead. Worked like a charm! Just take care when you’re peeling back the foil after cooking, as it’ll be hot. Use tongs or oven mitts.
• Avoid overflow. If you’re using a smaller skillet, you’ll need to scale back the filling to prevent the lasagna from bubbling over the sides while it cooks. You can always add any extra ground beef and sausage mixture to Italian sausage soup, or use both the meat and ricotta mixtures to make unstuffed shells.
• Keep the heat low. Cook the lasagna over low heat so that the bottom doesn’t burn.
• Rest the lasagna after cooking. For thick, non-soupy slices, rest your lasagna for 15 minutes before you slice it. Resting also gives the flavors a chance to come together. This tip applies to baked lasagna recipes, too!

Serving Suggestions

Serve this skillet lasagna with a green salad on the side, and dinner rolls or garlic knots for sopping up the leftover meat sauce. I also love these fluffy homemade crescent rolls. For a veggie side dish, try asparagus or roasted carrots.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

• Refrigerate. Allow the lasagna to cool completely, and you can either wrap the whole skillet in foil or transfer the lasagna to an airtight container to store. Leftovers last 3-4 days in the fridge.
• Reheat. Warm the leftover skillet lasagna in the oven under foil (you can use the same skillet if it’s oven-proof), or you can reheat individual portions in the microwave.
• Freeze. Transfer leftover portions to a freezer-safe container and freeze the lasagna for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

More Skillet Recipes to Try

• Skillet Pizza Rolls
• Garlic Parmesan Chicken
• Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
• Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs
• French Onion Chicken