Skip the oven... This easy-cheesy, One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna is a delicious twist on a family-friendly classic. Plus, get 5 additional family-friendly stovetop recipes below.
Last fall, I fell in love with a vintage '50s ranch-style home on the other side of town. The only downfall about moving there was that it didn't have air conditioning.
Now, honestly, here in Wisconsin, high temps and humidity are only an issue for about 6 weeks of the year. So...
We decided to go for it, and our family made the big move last September!
I so love the quirky artistic aspects of our new home. And as for our first summer here...
We've been using hot days with no central air as an excuse for our family to go to the pool, see a movie, or visit friends (who DO have A/C!).
What I didn't consider with this move, though, was how much the lack of air conditioning would affect my summer meal planning...
To keep any extra heat out of an already-warm house, we've been experimenting with salads and enjoying some of our favorite outdoor grill recipes:
- Easy-Cheesy Grilled Monterey Chicken
- Grilled Pizza (This HACK is so simple!) + Garlic Bread
- Grilled Foil Potato Bundles
Still, we've started to miss some of our classic oven-baked standbys — in particular, lasagna. What's a family do to?
Well, this summer I've experimented and created a new family favorite — One-Pot STOVETOP Lasagna. There's no need to turn on a HOT oven for this easy-cheesy, family-friendly recipe.
What else do I love about this recipe?
3-Ingredient Stovetop Meal
With a cook time of only 20 minutes, this simple, three-ingredient recipe is wham-bam-DONE. (In other words, it's perfect for warm summer evenings OR a chaotic post–summer-school weekday meal when you're pinched for time.)
The base recipe requires only three ingredients:
- Lasagna noodles
- Spaghetti sauce
- Crystal Farms® cheese
Mix-and-Match Stovetop Dinner Ideas
That being said, there's a lot of room to customize this One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna to your family's unique preferences... You can add a variety of additional ingredients, including (but not limited to):
- Spinach
- Peppers
- Onions
- Italian sausage
- Hamburger
- Crystal Farms® Ricotta (and other varieties of cheese)
Mix and match these ingredients for a new dish each time you make it!
Last week, when I made my One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna, we went with provolone cheese, pre-cooked pork sausage, a spicy pepper spaghetti sauce, Parmesan cheese, and squiggly lasagna noodles. (My kids swear the flat lasagna noodles don't taste as good!)
Of course, what makes this recipe insanely delicious is the CHEESE.
You can print the full recipe below, but let's walk through the recipe step-by-step first...
How to Make This Easy Stovetop Meal
Begin by turning the stovetop burner on high and combining your pre-cooked meat, half the container of spaghetti sauce, and 1 ¼ cups of water into the skillet.
(If you want to give your One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna a spicy zip, feel free to add a dash of dried red pepper, garlic salt, or Italian seasonings to the mix, too. If you like to add freshly diced onions or peppers, pop them in now, as well.)
Wait for the mixture to boil, then turn the stovetop down to low. Break half of the lasagna noodles into fourths and layer over the sauce mixture. Pour the remaining spaghetti sauce on top of the noodles. Then cover with the rest of the broken noodle pieces.
Add ¼ cup of water to the spaghetti jar, and give it a good shake. Your grandma would be proud; you're not wasting any of that delicious sauce! Pour it in the skillet, give it all a solid stir, and pop the lid on the pan.
Again, it's vital that you put the pot top on the skillet. The lid traps the moisture, which cooks the noodles. No lid, no lasagna.
In the next 20 minutes, your kitchen is going to smell AHH-mazing. I guarantee at least one of your kids will ask, "Is it time to eat, yet?"
The skillet needs to be stirred twice during the process, approximately every 7 minutes or so (set your stove or smartphone timer) to ensure the noodles don't stick to one another.
As we waited for the noodles to cook and the sauce to thicken, the kids and I shredded the provolone cheese. (If they're going to be in the kitchen, I thought I might as well put them to work!)
A gentle reminder, a cheese shredder is a sharp kitchen tool, so I highly recommend caution and adult supervision. Of course, you know your child's hand coordination skills better than anyone. Be smart. Be safe.
While I do love the convenience of pre-shredded cheese, there's something special about freshly grated cheese. The girls and I ALWAYS sample the cheese here and there as we shred...
Mmmmmm. So delicious.
Generally, the situation ends with one of them yelling, "Mom, stop taking so many samples! There's not going to be enough left for the recipe!" (What can I say...? I'm a Wisconsinite.)
After the noodles have cooked for 20 minutes, it's time to add that shredded cheese. Stir in half of the grated Provolone and a handful of Parmesan cheese. (If you're adding fresh spinach to your One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna, I'd recommend adding it now.)
Then top the lasagna with the remainder of the provolone cheese, put the lid back on for 5 minutes, and let the magic happen...
Oooey-gooey, cheesy deliciousness.
YUM.
How to Make Stovetop Lasagna
Here's the printable copy of the recipe I promised!
One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna
Skip the oven… This easy-cheesy, One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna is a delicious twist on a family-friendly classic. Plus, get 5 additional family-friendly stovetop recipes below.
Ingredients
- 16 oz Box of lasagna noodles, broken into fourths
- 24 oz Jar of spaghetti sauce
- 1 ½ cup Water
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 8 oz Crystal Farms® Provolone Cheese
- 5 oz Crystal Farms® Shaved Parmesan Cheese (half the container)
Instructions
- In a 5-quart cooking pot, mix half the spaghetti sauce, 1 ¼ C water, and any pre-cooked meat or fresh vegetables. Top with a layer of noodles.
- Cover noodles with leftover sauce and cover with remaining noodles. Add ¼ C water to spaghetti sauce jar, then shake and pour into skillet. Stir gently.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce the temp to low and cook for 20 minutes with the lid on.
- Stir twice to ensure noodles don’t stick together. (Also keep an eye on the moisture level to ensure it doesn’t get too dry.)
- When noodles are al dente, remove the pot from the burner. Gently stir in half of the shredded Crystal Farms® Provolone Cheese and half of the Crystal Farms® Shaved Parmesan Cheese. Top with remaining Provolone, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 313Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 37mgSodium 1148mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 3gSugar 5gProtein 17g
Disclaimer: Nutrition calculation is automatically calculated and may be inaccurate.
Perhaps I should rename this recipe 5-Minute Stovetop Lasagna because that's about how long it took the pot to go from THIS (top photo) to THIS (bottom photo)...
The entire delicious dish was gone in a flash!
You’ll want this no-oven, One-Pot Stovetop Lasagna on the menu this week FOR SURE. Your family is going to LOVE this easy-cheesy, summertime lasagna.
If you have any questions about the process, reach out to me in the comments.
And if you have any other recipes or tips for families trying to "beat the heat" in an A/C-free home, let me know... The hottest days are yet to come here in Wisconsin!
Stay cool,
P.S. A little more stovetop meal inspiration for you!
5 More Family-Friendly Stovetop Recipes
The cleanup with stovetop dinner is so simple. Here are a couple more easy recipes to try!
- Lemon Chicken and Rice
- Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles
- Chicken Enchilada Skillet
- Special Fried Rice Dinner
- Skillet Garlic Chicken and Rice
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