One Skillet Lasagna

A baked lasagna using the grill?! Forget about the oven and parboiling the lasagna sheets. This one skillet lasagna doesn’t miss any layer of satisfaction.

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Boondocking in the Manistee Forest

Dishes, don’t we all dread that dirty little chore? Especially if you’re enjoying the great outdoors. Then there is just something even more dreadful about the deed. While spending over a week boondocking in Michigan’s Manistee Forest hiking Lake Michigan’s dunes and trails, I had to come up with a solution to save on water and still eat good of course. One skillet meals are an amazing solution to reducing water waste on multiple dishes.

What is boondocking?

Let me rewind here for just a second. For those who may be scratching their heads at the term boondocking, it’s camping off the grid, aka dispersed camping or dry camping. It is the ultimate nature lover’s escape. You are without restroom facilities, water, electricity, sewer hook up and in most cases it’s free. For example, in the United States you can camp free of charge in US National Forests & Grasslands unless marked otherwise. Also, you are able to disperse camp on some areas of BLM land. These lands are managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Before heading out to discover and stay in your forest, please be prepared. Most importantly, do your research to be aware of the rules and respect our natural habitats. Always follow proper camping etiquette!

Save a dish & opt for one skillet meals

I have been becoming quite the fan of one skillet meals lately because they cut corners and save some time. Well and of course less dishes! Everything about cooking this lasagna was done using one single skillet. You can forget about needing an additional pan that traditional lasagna calls for. Plus, using oven ready lasagna sheets means you get to skip the parboiling. Utilizing the grill as an oven is something I have become quite fond of. I truly love a good cooking challenge. Besides, I just love to be outdoors as much as possible.

The essentials

My 10 inch cast iron skillet worked out to be the most precise fit, but for a little more wiggle room you can opt for a 12 inch cast iron skillet. As noted above, using oven ready lasagna sheets made this all possible for it to be a one pan meal. I chose to use ground Italian sausage but you can easily swap it for ground beef or turkey. I love adding veggies in pasta dishes. If you have children I can imagine that some might battle you on their veggie consumption. Simply hide them in the sauce. While camping I absolutely love to explore local farmers markets for locally grown produce and unique treats.

In a pinch or when prepping beforehand you can use frozen, pre-cut or canned vegetables. However, I do prefer fresh ingredients and I also think it’s important to support our local farmers and their communities that I enjoy visiting. I loaded this lasagna with fresh button mushrooms, bell pepper, onion, and even added some fresh chopped baby spinach to mix in with the cheese layer.

One Skillet Lasagna
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One Skillet Lasagna

Recipe by Christina Stawiasz @thyme.and.timberCourse: DinnerCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Moderate
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

30

minutes
Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

  • Olive oil

  • 15 oz package ricotta cheese

  • 1-1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, divided
    *Divide into 1/2 cup & 3/4 cup

  • 1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend

  • 1 egg

  • 1 cup baby spinach, finely chopped

  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage or ground beef

  • 1 small onion, chopped

  • 1 bell pepper, chopped

  • 8 oz package of white button or baby bella mushrooms, sliced or chopped

  • 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes

  • 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce

  • 1/2 teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil

  • 1/2 cup beef broth or water

  • 9 sheets of Barilla oven-ready Lasagna

  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions

  • In a medium bowl combine ricotta, Italian cheese blend, 1/2 cup mozzarella, baby spinach, egg and season with salt & pepper, set aside.
  • Preheat grill and a 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the hot pan followed by the Italian sausage or ground beef. Crumble as you cook for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add a drizzle of olive oil, onions, peppers, mushrooms, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook until softened about 7-8 minutes.
  • Return the ground sausage to the pan along with the garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and broth. Bring to a simmer. Remove the meat sauce to a bowl leaving about 1 cup of sauce in the skillet.
  • Begin layering. Add 3 lasagna sheets (depending on skillet size you may have to break 1 of the 3 sheets to fill in gaps), add 1/3 of the reserved cheese mixture followed by 1/3 of sauce. Repeat until you achieve 3 layers.
  • Top with any remaining sauce, cover and cook on medium-low for 20 minutes.
  • Uncover and top with the remaining 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until pasta is tender and cheese is melted.
  • Remove from heat and rest for 15 minutes.
    Enjoy!

Notes

  • This was made in a 10 inch cast iron skillet for a perfect fit. For extra wiggle room try using a 12 inch cast iron skillet.
  • You can sub ground beef or ground turkey.
  • If your grill runs hot or cold, adjust heat accordingly.
  • Can’t find an Italian cheese blend? Simply sub with extra mozzarella & Parmesan.
  • Use a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes instead for some extra flavor!