EASY SKILLET LASAGNA

1/2 lb extra-lean ground beef (or ground chicken breast)

3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jar or can (approx 24-oz) sugar-free or low sugar pasta sauce*
1 cup water
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
4-oz whole-grain lasagna noodles or your favorite no/low carb substitute, broken into pieces
1/2 cup light ricotta cheese
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Coat a 12-inch skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add beef, bell pepper, onion and garlic; cook until meat is browned. Pour mixture into a colander to drain off the fat; return mixture to the skillet.

Stir the spaghetti sauce and water into the mixture; bring to boiling. Add the mushrooms and noodles, stirring to separate noodles. Return mixture to boiling then reduce the heat. Cover and gently boil about 20 minutes or until pasta is tender. Stir often during this cooking time.

While lasagna is cooking, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning. Using a spoon, drop 10 small mounds of the mixture in the skillet. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the mounds. Cover and cook 4 to 5 more minutes until mozzarella is melted. Remove from the heat and allow to stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

*Note: Personally, I use a canned Garlic and Herb sauce I buy for around $1.00. It has 1g fat (0 sat), 8g carbs (3 fiber 4 sugar) and 2g protein per 1/2 cup. I have found this works very good for me.

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