Filling, flavorsome, and a true family favorite, lasagna is beloved for its irresistible layers of pasta, sauce, meat, and melted cheesy goodness. It’s the ultimate comfort food—so iconic that even Jim Davis’ comic strip cat Garfield couldn’t resist. This elk skillet lasagna brings that same familiar comfort to the table with a wild game twist, all in one pan.

Recognized by its wide, flat sheets, lasagna is believed to be one of the oldest types of pasta ever invented and among Italy’s earliest recorded recipes. Traditionally reserved for holidays and special occasions, lasagne—the plural form—made its way to America before the turn of the century and quickly became a staple of Italian-American home cooking, evolving into countless regional and family-style variations.

This version is my family’s favorite layered lasagna recipe, built around ground elk for rich, hearty flavor. The meat is combined with onion, garlic, and a blend of dried herbs and seasonings, then layered with a classic three-cheese combination of ricotta, mozzarella, and grated Parmesan. The result is a molten, cheesy, stacked dish that’s as satisfying as it is comforting.

A One-Skillet Wild Game Dinner

To streamline prep and cut down on cooking time, I use no-boil lasagna noodles and a quality store-bought marinara sauce. Everything is assembled and baked in a 12-inch cast iron skillet, making this elk lasagna a fun, creative, and efficient way to serve dinner straight from the oven to the table.

This skillet lasagna can be assembled and baked immediately or prepped ahead in an aluminum pan and frozen for future weeknight meals. Better yet, it’s an ideal elk camp dish—assemble everything in the cast iron skillet, cover loosely with foil, and cook over indirect heat until hot, bubbly, and ready to feed a hungry camp.

Heat a 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is warm, add the olive oil and ground elk cooking until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped onion, garlic, oregano, basil, parsley and salt stirring everything together. Continue to cook until the onions soften, about 7-8 minutes.  Remove the meat from skillet and set aside.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and 2 eggs. Stir until well blended.

In a separate bowl, combine marinara sauce and 1 cup of water. Stir until well blended.

Set your cast iron skillet on a work surface and add a small amount of sauce on the bottom. Place 4 pieces of the dry lasagna on the bottom of the skillet. You may have to break a few in half to make fit. Spread half of the ricotta cheese over the lasagna noodles. Spread half of the elk over the ricotta cheese. Pour half of the marinara sauce over the elk and top with half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat in the same order until all ingredients are gone.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Elk Skillet Lasagna with Three Cheeses

This elk skillet lasagna is a hearty, one-pan wild game meal layered with ground elk, marinara, no-boil noodles, and three cheeses. Family-friendly and freezer-ready.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: elk lasagna, elk skillet lasagna, ground elk

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground elk
• 1 sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 28 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 cups grated Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 24 oz marinara sauce
• 1 cup water
• 8-9 pieces no-boil lasagna pasta
• fresh basil, for garnishment

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 
• Heat a 12” cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is warm, add the olive oil and ground elk cooking until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped onion, garlic, oregano, basil, parsley and salt stirring everything together. Continue to cook until the onions soften, about 7-8 minutes.  Remove the meat from skillet and set aside. 
• In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and 2 eggs. Stir until well blended. 
• In a separate bowl, combine marinara sauce and 1 cup of water. Stir until well blended.
• Set your cast iron skillet on a work surface and add a small amount of sauce on the bottom. Place 4 pieces of the dry lasagna on the bottom of the skillet. You may have to break a few in half to make fit. Spread half of the ricotta cheese over the lasagna noodles. Spread half of the elk over the ricotta cheese. Pour half of the marinara sauce over the elk and top with half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat in the same order until all ingredients are gone.
• Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

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Love ground elk? Try ground venison or antelope next—perfect for burgers, meatballs, or skillet dinners. Each ground game meat brings its own bold flavor, making every meal a wild game adventure.

If you enjoy comfort-forward wild game meals like this elk skillet lasagna, my Wild Game Cuisine Cookbook is filled with family-friendly recipes using elk, venison, antelope, and more. From quick weeknight dinners to camp-ready classics, each dish is designed to help you turn your harvest into meals worth gathering around—because every meal tells a story.