I had a craving for lasagna the other day, but with the busiest week EVER on tap, I didn’t think I could make it happen. Then I remembered seeing something a while back about making lasagna in a slow cooker. To be honest, I thought this sounded bizarre and figured the noodles would be rubbery. Needless to say, I didn’t bother to save the recipe. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures so I did a little internet search for “easy crockpot lasagna” and quickly landed on this one from I Heart Naptime. I’m totally serious when I say that it’s just as delicious as regular lasagna from the oven.
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Typically, slow cooker dinners cook all day, but this recipe cooks fast. I started prepping just before I picked up the gremlins from school and it was ready as soon as we walked in the door from back to back soccer and basketball practices. Tasty, warm, hearty and comforting….weeknight perfection!
Recipe here: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/crockpot-lasagna/
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage , could also use ground beef
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 24 ounces spaghetti sauce , or marinara
- 1 cup water , divided
- 15 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese , divided
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 9-12 lasagna noodles , uncooked
Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Brown the hamburger and Italian sausage in a pan over medium heat. Drain grease and then add Italian seasoning and onions. Cook until onions are soft and then stir in the sauce with 1/2 cup water. Let simmer for 5 minutes.Â
2. While the sauce is simmering, mix together the ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and egg.Â
3. Spread about a cup of the sauce and 1/2 cup water onto the bottom of the crock pot. Then top with 3 noodles (you may need to break some noodles to fit). Then spread about 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles.
4. Repeat with 2 more layers, or until all the ingredients are used. Add 1/2 cup water around the sides. If your noodles are thick, add an extra 2 Tablespoons. Sprinkle remaining cup of mozzarella cheese on top.
5. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until noodles are tender. Top with fresh basil, if desired.
*I used all lean ground beef.
**I added a few dashes of red pepper flakes to the meat sauce while simmering because we like a little kick to our pasta.
I Heart Naptime’s Crockpot Lasagna
As you can see, I served this with super fancy baby carrots and Ranch. Not exactly a gourmet side dish, but we all like them and I had a fresh bag. Good enough.
Add this to your meal plan for next week!
TGIF and Happy Halloween!
