Crock Pot Gourmet: Lasagna

One of our favorite Crock Pot meals is lasagna, and we have several different varieties that we love. It's so much quicker to put together in the slow-cooker, because you don't have to pre-boil the noodles or anything (if you did pre-cook the noodles, you'd end up with severely overcooked, gluey noodles - not appetizing). Toss all the ingredients together in the morning (or even at lunchtime), and by dinner, you have a meal people will think you slaved over!

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

 

You will need:

1 lb. lasagna noodles (dry)

6-8 c. Super Spaghetti Sauce

1-2 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese (the more veggies I use, the less cheese I find I need)

16-24oz. low-fat cottage cheese

1-2 medium onions, chopped

2 red bell peppers, sliced

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

4-8oz. spinach (or chopped kale)

any other veggies, as desired

 

Spread a small amount of sauce in the bottom of your 7-quart Crock Pot

 

Cover the sauce with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles (break them into pieces as necessary to fit).

 

Add a few spoonfuls of cottage cheese.

(You can spread the cottage cheese across the layer of noodles, if desired, but it isn't necessary.)

 

Chop onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc.

 

Add a large handful or two of spinach (or chopped kale), sprinkle onions, mushrooms and peppers on top (as well as any other veggies you may desire) 

 

Cover with a layer of shredded mozzarella.

 

Add another layer of sauce. 

 

Repeat layers until Crock Pot is full. (Leave about an inch at the top to avoid bubbling over.)

Add a generous layer of sauce

 

and cheese.

 

 

Cook on low for approximately 4-7 hours, until cheese is bubbly

and noodles reach desired consistency.

 

You can serve this dish with your favorite garlic bread and a salad, or on its own as a full meal. For lower-fat versions of the lasagna, simply increase the amount of veggies and reduce the cheese accordingly. You can also add your favorite Italian sausage or other meat, if desired, but the layers of veggies give this dish so much flavor that my carnivorous family doesn't even miss the meat!

 

Update: I had someone ask me a question about whether or not the noodles get too soggy in a dish like this. I prefer firmer noodles, so I often cook my lasagna for only 4-5 hours. You can also regulate the firmness of the noodles by the amount of sauce you use: adding more (for softer noodles) or less (for firmer noodles) as desired.