White Skillet Lasagna

All the flavors you know and love in a white lasagna, but 100x easier.

I can’t gate keep this one, if you make anything this Fall it needs to be this white skillet lasagna. Creamy, cheesy, and packed chicken sausage, this hug in a bowl takes less than 30 minutes. Not to mention this lasagna recipe is a crowd pleaser, and a perfect dish to make during the week. Try this skillet version, and you may never make lasagna the same way again.

WHAT IS A SKILLET LASAGNA?

Also known as “lazy lasagna” this dish is made in a skillet, not a casserole or baking dish, on the stove not baking for an hour in the oven, and tastes just as good, if not better. If you have ever made lasagna then you know… it takes some time. If you’ve never made lasagna then its probably because…it takes some time. Growing up my mother was good at making 4 things, her lasagna was the top of the list. I would watch her saute the meat, make the sauce, slice the cheese, then meticulously layer the pasta sheets with ricotta layer after layer. The end result is worth it, but the work is not for everyone. If you LOVE lasagna but are short on time and patience then this recipe is a must try.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR WHITE SKILLET LASAGNA

• Chicken Sausage – I tested this recipe 3 times, one time was with plain pork sausage. The final dish was outstanding, but truth be told I don’t love eating a lot of pork. The second time was with ground chicken, good but missing depth of flavor. Finally I swapped the ground chicken for chicken sausage and it was the winner. Chicken sausage delivered on the flavor without all the fat. I used a garlic and herb chicken sausage, however whatever you can find will work here. You can also substitute this for regular sausage just take note on the comments in the step by step to avoid an overly greasy dish. Also important to note, unless you are buying loose sausage, you need to take it out of the casing. To do so run a sharp knife down the length of the sausage, pull back, and pull out.
• Butter
• Garlic– Fresh only!
• Yellow Onion – Yellow, or Vidalia work here.
• Flour – Used to thicken the sauce a bit more.
• Spinach
• Lasagna Sheets – Regular lasagna sheets. There are ready to bake lasagna sheets, do not get these. If you didn’t know those are already cooked then dehydrated. They work for a lasagna, but not for this skillet dish.
• Basil – Fresh.
• Chicken Broth
• Half & Half
• Mozzarella Cheese – Listen I love fresh mozzarella, but that is not what you need for this recipe. Frankly it has too much moisture. Instead you want low moisture full fat mozzarella cheese. It normally comes in a rectangle block and is located near the shredded cheese section at the supermarket. Also try and avoid pre-shredded, often times it doesn’t melt or brown the same.

TOOLS NEEDED

Skillet, Braiser, Wide Bottom Pan – This is a white skillet lasagna, key word is skillet. Use a pan large enough to hold a 1/2 lb of pasta that is wide enough so that there is more surface area for bubbly cheese. You want to use something deep enough to simmer the pasta, but only like an inch or two, nothing too deep.

Cook the Chicken Sausage – Remove the sausage from the casing, discard this. Heat the pan on the stove over medium heat. If using chicken sausage drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil in the pan. If opting for pork, no olive oil is needed. Once hot place the sausage in the pan and allow it to cook for 1 minute before breaking it up using a twisting motion of the wrist. Cook through approx. 5 minutes and remove from the pan when finished. If you used pork sausage wipe the pan before the next part, we don’t need additional grease.

Sauté the Aromatics + Build the Sauce – Lower the heat and add the butter. Once melted add the garlic, onions, a pinch of salt, and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add the flour and mix to combine. Cook for another minute. Add the chicken broth, half and half, basil, chicken sausage, and spinach. This is also the place to salt. Start with 1/4 tsp and move up from there. The saltiness of the sausage will dictate how much this dish needs. *If you chose pork sausage you need to discard the extra grease at the bottom of the bowl.

SNAP THAT LASAGNA! – Sorry I got a little excited there. This is my favorite part. One by one break the lasagna sheets to your desired size. I do recommend keeping the majority 3-4 inches in length. Place the lasagna sheets in the pan. Warning this might be a little annoying. You need to submerge all the sheets, that might mean moving some chicken and spinach out of the way. I found sliding the sheets under the chicken and spinach the most efficient.

Simmer – Cover the skillet and simmer on low for the amount of time the pasta box instructs, checking on it every 2-3 minutes. The pasta sheets I used were a 12 minute cook. Every few minutes I would remove the lid and make sure that the pasta was still submerged, and not sticking together. Give it a little shimmy with the spoon to avoid sticking and burning on the bottom. If you notice at any point your pasta is still underdone, but you are low on sauce or it has thickened up too much drizzle a a few tbs of half and half in.

Broil till Bubbly – Once the pasta is tender and chewy top with shredded mozzarella cheese and pop it in the broiler for 3-4 minutes until it is brown and bubbly. Allow the lasagna to cool for a minute or two before topping with more fresh basil.

STORING/REHEATING

Not sure if there will be leftovers, it is that good. However in the event you can’t finish it all, store in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge. I was always too impatient to wait for my lasagna to reheat in the oven. Still am. For best results heat up in a oven safe dish covered at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warm throughout. If you want the pasta to get a little crispy heat it up uncovered.

Cant get enough comfort food? Check out the below!

French Onion Gnocchi
Creamy Chicken + Wild Rice Soup
Buffalo Chicken Pasta