Silly Thirty in the Test Kitchen: Skillet Lasagna

What's going on everybody?  It's another Monday - so it's another cooking post!

The last time I reported on my adventures in the test kitchen, I told you about a total flop for me with the Two-Ingredient Pancakes.  Well this time, I bring you a success story: Skillet Lasagna!  This is lasagna deconstructed - doesn't that sound all modern and hipster?


I got this recipe from Shape Magazine - they posted it on Facebook.  When I read up on what this meal would entail for prepping and cooking and saw how easy it was, I figured why not?  You can find the recipe here.  I think this is the perfect meal for a weekend when you want to stay in, but you don't want to make anything too fancy or involved.  This has cheese and carbs, so I consider this to be comfort food - perfect for the winter time.

The only thing I changed here is I used 8-oz. of a ready-made spaghetti sauce - like Prego or Ragu - instead of a no-salt added tomato sauce.  Because of that, I did not add anymore salt to the meal.  So, if you happen to make your own spaghetti or marinara sauce then use that, or if you do not have any plain tomato sauce on-hand, don't be afraid to add some spaghetti sauce from the jar and carry on with it. 

Here is the finished product:

 (Please excuse the messy stove top!)

Here is what it looked like plated with some chopped basil:

(We used the fine china for this meal.)

(Seriously though, why haven't I been topping all of my pasta dishes with some chopped basil?  *Cue Rihanna's "Where Have You Been (All My Life)"*  Between the fresh smell and the little extra it adds to the taste - my husband and I were in heaven.) 

The last thing I would say is - don't be afraid to use another kind of meat.  This recipe originally called for either 95% lean ground beef or pork.  I have lately seen in the grocery stores that they are now offering ground turkey that is pre-seasoned with Italian seasoning and chicken sausage that is also pre-seasoned the same way.  I plan to make this again, but will use either ground turkey, chicken sausage, or ground chicken with some Italian seasoning added in - I'm sure it will be just as delicious.

If you haven't already figured this one out - this meal was a big win in my house and I think it will be at your house as well.  Let me know if you try this one out, and if you have made any substitutions to the ingredients.

Take care and talk to you soon!