When there is no electricity in the house, yet you crave a hot, hearty, and comforting homemade meal, recipes that require neither an oven nor an abundance of dishes come to the rescue. The "lazy" lasagna, prepared entirely in a single skillet using ground meat, sauce, phyllo dough, and cheese, belongs precisely to this category. The recipe was shared by Styler editor Yulia Shikanova, and it is tailored for those who value simplicity and minimal cleanup after cooking.
Browning the Meat and Preparing the Dough
Cooking begins with the ground meat: it is placed into a preheated skillet and sautéed, breaking it apart into small pieces with a spatula. Salt, pepper, and favorite spices are added along the way and mixed thoroughly — in the author's version, this includes Svanetian salt and minced garlic. While the meat is cooking, the phyllo dough is cut or torn into small pieces, such as squares, as in the original recipe.
Sauce, Lid, and 10 Minutes on Low Heat
Next, about four tablespoons of sauce are poured into the meat; the volume can be increased if desired. Tomato sauce works best, but any other sauce on hand is acceptable: in one variation, the author used a curd-based sauce since tomato sauce was unavailable. The sauce is stirred quickly to prevent it from frying down, and if it is too thick, a little water is added so the phyllo dough cooks better under the lid. The pieces of dough are distributed over the meat, the skillet is covered with a lid, the heat is reduced to minimum, and everything cooks for about 10 minutes.
Cheese Topping and Serving
After this, the lid is opened, the contents of the skillet are stirred, sprinkled with your favorite grated cheese, and covered again until the cheese melts. At the end, the dish can be stirred once more or left with the cheesy "cap" as is. The finished lazy lasagna is served hot right out of the skillet — without transferring it to another dish.
Without Electricity and Allergen Information
An important advantage of the recipe is that it can be cooked even during power outages if you have a gas stove: gas and a lidded pan are all you need. When using a portable stove, safety rules must be followed and it should only be used in appropriate conditions. The dish contains dairy products and wheat (gluten), while additional allergens depend on the specific composition of the phyllo dough, sauce, and spices. For those looking for another simple homemade recipe, Styler also suggests making the iconic cookies from Phoebe’s grandmother’s recipe in the TV show "Friends".
