Tuesday Treats - Skillet Lasagna

I was hesitant to make this recipe because I already have a tasty lasagna recipe that I'm familiar with, and it's always a crowd pleaser. But, I don't make it often because it is time consuming, so the skillet lasagna recipe from my Pampered Chef 29 Minutes to Dinner cookbook seemed to be the potential replacement when I'm craving Italian food but don't want to be bothered with intensive cooking. It doesn't hurt that Daniel absolutely loves this meal.

Skillet Lasagna

1 jar (24-26 oz) marinara sauce

3 cups water

8 oz. lasagna noodles

1 lb. bulk hot Italian turkey sausage

2 garlic cloves, pressed

2 oz. shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup fresh whole milk ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 t coarsely ground black pepper

1. Combine sauce and water in skillet. Cover and bring to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, break noodles into quarters. Stir noodles into sauce. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 16-18 minutes or until noodles are tender, stirring occasionally.

3. As noodles cook, place sausage into another skillet; cook and stir over medium-high heat 6-8 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. (The Pampered Chef Mix'N Chop is the best tool for this!) Add pressed garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir sausage into noodles and sauce.

4. Mix cheeses and pepper in bowl. Scoop mixture over noodles. Cover skillet and simmer 3-5 minutes until cheese is melted and ricotta mixture is heated through.

Servings: 6. Calories: 470/serving.

(In case you're wondering... I've been sticking to the serving guidelines on all recipes and counting calories in an attempt to lose weight so I'm including this info on all recipes in case anyone else adheres to serving suggestions.)