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Did you know that you can make a delicious, hearty lasagna in your trusty old slow cooker? You can! I’m talking about minimal prep and letting your crock pot do most of the work! We like making this Crock Pot Lasagna for dinner and bonus – it always makes PLENTY of leftovers.
We used lean ground turkey in this version. Other meats would work as well (including beef or sausage) – whatever you have on hand.
Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jar pasta sauce
3-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 Cup shredded Parmesan cheese
15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
1 package uncooked lasagna noodles (about 15 noodles)
How to make:
1. Saute ground meat and onion in saute pan until the meat is fully cooked. Drain. Add pasta sauce, basil and salt.
2. In a bowl, mix 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese with the ricotta cheese and shredded Parmesan cheese. Store remaining mozzarella in refrigerator.
3. In slow cooker spoon one quarter of your meat/onion mixture into cooker and spread to cover the bottom. Layer 5 noodles on top of the meat, breaking the noodles as necessary to fit the dish.
4. Spread half of cheese mixture over the layer of noodles. Add another quarter of meat on top of the cheese, then 5 more noodles, the rest of the cheese, another quarter of meat, 5 more noodles and finally the rest of the meat.
5. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
6. About 20 minutes before mealtime, sprinkle the remaining 1 Cup of shredded mozzarella over lasagna and cover.
7. Once the top layer of cheese has melted, the lasagna is ready to serve.
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I’ve recently thought about doing this again. It’s so easy and my family loved it.
I tried this recipe but substituted ground beef. It was very good. However I messed up and put the whole package of parmesan cheese in which made the filling to thick. Next time I’ll be more careful. I invited my two daughters and their three kids as well as their husbands and it was a big hit! I baked some garlic bread and sauteed some zucchini to go with it. It was a very good meal.
I am so happy to hear that you all enjoyed it! This is one of our family favorites. Thank you for your feedback!
Why a crockpot instead of the oven? Asking for a friend before they start…
No major reason – the slow cooker is a little more energy efficient than a standard oven. You can set it and forget it, letting it cook for hours at a low temp, and not have to fire up the oven. :) This would also be perfect for RV cooking or a potluck – anywhere that a slow cooker is more convenient than an oven or an oven is not available.
Is it ok to cook on high for 2-3 hours?
I don’t see why not. I’d just keep an eye on the noodles so that they don’t overcook/dry out.
I tried this last week and we absolutely loved it! I added extra sauce to it, but will add a bit more next time. I think I will try adding some cottage cheese to the mix. I’ll let ya know how it turns out! Thank you so much for this recipe. I can’t wait to share it with some one besides the Hub. lol
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! I don’t think you can go wrong with extra sauce! Mmmmmm!!
So, I tried again with extra sauce and cottage cheese. Came out perfect!!! We ate every morsel. I so love this recipe. Thank you again!!
Yum!! I’m so glad it turned out great! I need to make this one again soon!