Cast Iron Skillet Lasagna From Scratch
Made from scratch, this Cast Iron Skillet Lasagna is an ultimate comfort dish including handmade pasta, sauce, and ricotta cheese. It's goofy, simple to put together, and certain to become a family favorite!
Yield: 6
Materials
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1-2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 white onion diced about 1 cup
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups packed baby spinach
- 3 cups Mushroom Marinara Sauce or your other favorite marinara or 25 oz jar of pasta sauce
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese divided
- 8 pieces lasagna noodles cut into thirds
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- Fresh basil or parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Set oven temperature to 400 degrees.
- In a 12-inch cast iron skillet or another kind, heat the oil to medium. Add the garlic and onion, and sauté for three to five minutes, or until gently browned.
- When the ground beef is no longer pink, add it and crumble it with a wooden spoon for about five minutes of cooking.
- After draining approximately half of the fat, add the spinach and cook, stirring frequently, for an additional one to two minutes, or until the spinach wilts.
- Add the sauce, stir thoroughly, stir in the dry herbs, and cook for five to seven minutes.
- In the meantime, combine 2 cups mozzarella cheese and ricotta in a small bowl.
- About 1/3 of the sauce should remain in the skillet after being removed from the pan and transferred to a bowl.
- Place a layer of lasagna pieces on top of the noodles, then cover with half of the bowl's sauce and roughly half of the cheese. Layer the remaining cheese, lasagna pieces, and sauce on top of each other. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese on top.
- Bake the cast iron for thirty to thirty-five minutes with a cover on it or with aluminum foil.
- Add some fresh basil or parsley over top, then serve and savor!
Notes
Depending on the sauce you're using, use herbs according to your taste. If your sauce is already extremely highly seasoned, add less; if not, add more for a more basic sauce.
Replace 1/4 teaspoon of dry herbs with about 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh herbs.
Use either cottage cheese or ricotta cheese in combination. If desired, top the remaining mozzarella layer with Parmesan cheese.
To make the lasagna more cheesier, add extra cheese.
Replace the ground beef with your preferred vegetables to make it vegetarian.
Replace 1/4 teaspoon of dry herbs with about 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh herbs.
Use either cottage cheese or ricotta cheese in combination. If desired, top the remaining mozzarella layer with Parmesan cheese.
To make the lasagna more cheesier, add extra cheese.
Replace the ground beef with your preferred vegetables to make it vegetarian.