Print

Easy Skillet Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

Skillet lasagna with melted cheese on top and sliced fresh basil.
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

This Easy Skillet Lasagna has all the traditional flavors in a classic lasagna dish but is a healthier and high protein one pan meal made with ground chicken and cottage cheese! It’s ready in just 40 minutes and perfect for any night of the week!

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ medium / 100 grams Yellow Onion – finely chopped
  • 6 cloves / 30 grams Garlic – minced
  • 9-10 pieces / 30 grams fresh Red Chilies (such as Thai Bird’s Eye, optional, to taste – note 1*) – finely chopped
  • 1 TBSP Olive Oil
  • 1 pound / 454 grams Lean Ground Chicken
  • ½ TSP Kosher Salt (to season the chicken)
  • 25.5 ounce jar / 722 grams Tomato Pasta Sauce (or marinara sauce, I used Muir Glen Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce with No Sugar Added)
  • 2 cups / 500ml Water (or low sodium chicken broth)
  • ¾ – 1 TSP Kosher Salt, to taste
  • ½ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • 1 TSP Italian Seasoning
  • ½ TSP Dried Oregano
  • ½ – 1.5 TSP ground Cayenne, to taste (note 1)
  • ½ – 1.5 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste (note 1)
  • 1 TSP Smoked Paprika (hot or sweet – I used hot)
  • 9 ounces / 255 grams (12 pieces) Lasagna Noodles (use gluten-free lasagna noodles if needed) – broken into three pieces each
  • 2 cups / 66 grams Baby Spinach
  • ¾ cup / 200 grams Low Fat Cottage Cheese
  • ¾ cup / 84 grams shredded Low Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese (I used Tillamook Farmstyle Shreds)
  • ¼ cup / 25 grams freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (or Parmesan cheese)
  • To Serve: Chopped fresh Basil Leaves or Parsley

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop the yellow onion, garlic and red chilies (if using) as indicated in the ingredients section. Break each lasagna noodle sheet into three pieces each. Grate the

Easy Skillet Lasagna with Cottage Cheese

  1. Sauté aromatics: Sauté onion in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until translucent. Add the garlic and chilies and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
  2. Cook the ground chicken: Add the ground chicken and season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes, breaking the clumps with your spatula until just cooked through.
  3. Build the sauce. Add the pasta sauce, water, and all the seasonings – remaining ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, dried oregano, ground cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes and smoked paprika. Stir to combine.
  4. Add the lasagna noodles: Add the broken lasagna noodles and stir to combine, making sure to spread them out evenly and submerge in the sauce.
  5. Simmer: Bring the sauce up to a boil, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 16-18 minutes, uncovering to stir every 5 minutes (this is important) to prevent the lasagna noodles from sticking to the pan, until the lasagna is al-dente and tender.
  6. Add baby spinach: Add the baby spinach and mix until just wilted – 1 minute.
  7. Add cottage cheese: Add the cottage cheese and stir until evenly combined – about 1 minute.
  8. Top with cheeses: Scatter the mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese evenly over everything. Switch off the heat and cover the pan for 5 minutes to let the cheese melt. Alternatively, if you’d like the cheese to brown a little and become bubbly, broil for 3-4 minutes in the oven.
  9. Serve: Let the lasagna cool for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chopped basil and serve.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Fresh Red Chilies. If you’re not big on spice or are dining with kids, omit or use less of the red chilies, crushed red pepper flakes and ground cayenne to make a milder lasagna. You can sprinkle crushed red pepper on top after serving if you like it spicy but others you are dining with don’t. To make a spicier lasagna dish, use more of the aforementioned ingredients and serve with some hot sauce such as buffalo sauce on the side. Alternatively, add ¼ to ⅓ cup buffalo sauce to the tomato sauce while cooking.
  2. Storing and reheating leftovers. Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until hot throughout. I recommend garnishing with basil after reheating. When added as a garnish or topping, fresh basil tends to blacken and become bitter if reheated in the microwave for too long.
  3. Freezing and reheating. After cooking and cooled completely, transfer the lasagna to freezer friendly containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on high in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot throughout. Garnish with fresh basil after reheating.
  4. Nutritional information is approximate and will vary with ingredients substitutes and the brands you use.
  5. Dietary modifications. Use gluten-free lasagna noodles to make it gluten-free. For dairy-free, use plant-based/vegan cheeses. For vegetarian, use a plant-based meat substitute that crumbles or add veggies like bell pepper, mushrooms, carrots, celery, zucchini, broccoli, etc. Also, use a plant-based parmesan cheese without rennet. For a vegan version, same as for making it vegetarian and dairy-free.
  6. See the ‘Variations’ section in the post above to customize this skillet lasagna.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/easy-skillet-lasagna-cottage-cheese/