Skillet Lasagna

What a surprise of flavor I found in this skillet dish! I needed something quick for tonight because we were gone until 5:30p. Of course, I hadn't thought far enough ahead to plan a crock pot meal (or my menu for this week). I was expecting the noodle, beef and tomato soup hotdish they always served at funerals or potlucks at my hometown church; I expected to spice it up a bit. This is NOT that hotdish - Thankfully!

Even though I stopped at the store, I forgot a key ingredient. No bother, parmessan cheese made a wonderful substitution for the cottage cheese topping. Couldn't find my Italian seasoning at the last minute ... just toss in thyme, oregano, basil, parsely, white pepper and sea salt for taste.

Yes, it was adapted and changed a lot, but it turned out great. Here's my rendition of Skillet Lasagna in recipe form (at least, as close as I can get it).

Suzie's Skillet Lasagna
Yield: 10 servings

1lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. Italian sausage*
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper, diced
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
4 cups egg noodles
3 1/2 cups water
26 oz. spaghetti sauce
6.5 oz. can sliced mushrooms
3 Tbl. dried parsely
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup shredded parmessan cheese

In a large skillet, brown the hamburger and Italian sausage links (if they aren't already - I used frozen browned hamburger and the Italian sausage was frozen and pre-cooked, too). Add the chopped onion and diced green pepper. Saute for 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the parmessan cheese. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the noodles are cooked to al dente. Remove the skillet from heat, spread the parmessan cheese over the top and cover. Let stand until the cheese is melted.

*I used Italian sausage links - that was all I could find at the store - and cut them in slices and then in half. The original recipe called for 1/2 pound of Italian sausage, if you want to substitute.