5 Lazy One-Pan Dinners for When You're Too Tired to Cook

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Beef (80% lean, can substitute Italian sausage)
• 1 medium Onion (diced)
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder (optional fresh garlic can be used)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 0.5 tsp Black Pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 cup Marinara Sauce (about one‑third of a 24‑oz jar, any good quality jarred sauce)
• 0.25 cup Water (to rinse remaining sauce from jar)
• 8 pieces Lasagna Noodles (no‑boil sheets, broken into bite‑size pieces)
• 1 cup Ricotta Cheese (full‑fat, can add fresh basil or parsley)
• 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
• 0.5 cup Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated)
• 2 tbsp Fresh Basil or Parsley (chopped, optional for ricotta and garnish)

Instructions

1. Sauté Onion

   Heat the skillet over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil, and sauté the diced onion until softened, about 3‑4 minutes.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: Medium

2. Brown Ground Beef

   Add the ground beef to the pan, breaking it up with the spoon. Cook until fully browned, about 5 minutes. Drain excess fat if desired.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: Medium

3. Add Sauce and Water

   Stir in 1 cup of marinara sauce, then pour the remaining sauce from the jar into the pan. Rinse the jar with ¼ cup water and add that liquid as well. Mix to coat the meat evenly.

   Time: PT2M

4. Add Broken Noodles

   Break the no‑boil lasagna noodles into bite‑size pieces and nestle them into the meat‑sauce mixture. Ensure the noodles are mostly covered with sauce.

   Time: PT3M

5. Simmer Noodles

   Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low‑medium, and let the noodles cook for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until they are tender but still have a slight bite.

   Time: PT20M

   Temperature: Low

6. Prepare Ricotta Mixture

   While the noodles are cooking, combine ricotta cheese, a pinch of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chopped basil or parsley in a mixing bowl. Stir until smooth.

   Time: PT2M

7. Add Cheese Layers

   When the noodles are tender, dollop the seasoned ricotta over the top, then sprinkle shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan evenly.

   Time: PT2M

8. Final Melt

   Cover the skillet again, keep on low heat for another 5 minutes until the cheeses melt and become gooey.

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: Low

9. Rest and Serve

   Remove from heat, let the lasagna rest for 2 minutes, then garnish with extra fresh parsley or basil. Serve directly from the skillet.

   Time: PT2M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

560

Protein

30 g

Carbohydrates

45 g

Fat

25 g

Fiber

3 g