A Lite and Heart Warming Mid Week Meal: Crispy Skillet Lasagna

Posted on Feb 15 2015 - 4:35pm by Brenda Meehan

Need a quick and comforting dish for a mid-week family dinner? Lasagna can sound heavy, or like a lot of work…but this re-vamped recipe is a lite and simple one-pan meal that’s ready in an hour and will have everyone asking for seconds! We baked up a batch for Aunt Tracy’s birthday dinner, not knowing that turkey lasagna was already her favorite. Check out this crispy crowd pleaser, adapted from Woman’s Day Magazine!

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Ingredients: (Serves 4…as usual, for our bigger family, we doubled it)

1 tablespoon(s) olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon(s) dried oregano (We used Italian seasoning + added a little extra)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (We used extra garlic too, as turkey can take a bit more seasoning. 🙂
1/4 teaspoon(s) crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound(s) extra-lean ground turkey
1 can(s) (14.5-ounce) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 can(s) (10.75-ounce) Campbell’s Healthy Request Tomato Soup (We subbed with Tomato Sauce)
1/2 cup(s) lowfat, small-curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup(s) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 ounce(s) (1 cup) part-skim mozzarella, coarsely grated (We used a touch of extra cheese, but were sure to use part-skim) 
6 no-boil lasagna noodles, each broken into 4 or 5 pieces

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Directions:

1.Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, oregano, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up with a spoon into very small pieces, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 4 to 6 minutes (this should still be a loose mixture; it will thicken in the oven).

3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cottage cheese, parsley, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Transfer 3 3/4 cups sauce to a bowl. Lay one-third of the noodles evenly over the sauce in the skillet. Dollop with half the cheese mixture, then spoon 1 cup of the remaining sauce over the top; repeat once.

4. Top with the remaining noodles and sauce. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake until the noodles are tender, 23 to 25 minutes.

5. Remove the foil. Broil until some of the noodle edges begin to crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella and broil until the top is golden brown and the edges of the noodles are crispy, 1 to 2 minutes more. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

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We really enjoyed this, as it gave us time to hang out together in the kitchen…then have a chat while everything was baking. No muss, no fuss…but definitely a new family favorite. What healthy versions of comfort food are you serving up this season?