Greek Style Dinner in Under an Hour! Easy Skillet Pastitsio

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey offers lower fat content while ground pork is often less expensive.

cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: processed cheese

Nutritional yeast is a dairy-free alternative, while processed cheese can be more budget-friendly.

Chop a medium or large onion and add it to an oven-safe stainless steel skillet with a little olive oil.

Cook the onions on high heat for 5 minutes until they begin to soften and get color.

Add 5 or 6 grated garlic cloves and cook for a few seconds until fragrant.

Add 2 lbs of ground beef, breaking it up and seasoning with salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch of cinnamon.

Cook the beef over high heat for another 5 minutes until browned.

Add 1 lb of pasta and a 15 oz can of tomato sauce to the skillet.

Pour in 6 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of salt, then mix and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and let cook for 15-20 minutes until the pasta is al dente and water is absorbed.

Chop parsley and add it along with 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, mixing well and tasting for seasoning.

In a separate pan, melt 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and whisk in 1/4 cup of flour until lightly toasted.

Gradually pour in 4 cups of cold whole milk, seasoning with salt, black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg, cooking until thickened.

Stir in a few tablespoons of Parmesan cheese or graviera cheese and remove from heat.

Pour the béchamel sauce over the pasta mixture in the skillet and mix gently.

Preheat the oven to 500°F and place the skillet under the broiler for 7-10 minutes until the top is golden and bubbly.

Let the dish sit for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens