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Slow Cooker Lasagna

Enjoy something delicious and satisfying with this easy-to-make recipe.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
5 hrs
Total Time
5 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 1 (28-ounce) 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (6-ounce) 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
  • ½ ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 1-2 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar
  • ½ ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 2 2 cups cottage cheese (drain off excess liquid if there's a lot)
  • ½ ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1 teaspoon dried parsley or a couple tablespoons fresh
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • 9-12 9-12 no-boil lasagna noodles
  • 10 10 ounces Mozzarella cheese shredded (2-3 cups)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Lightly coat the inside of a round 4- or 5-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, sugar, oregano, basil, thyme, garlic powder, and balsamic vinegar.
  3. In another bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, parsley and pinches of salt and pepper.
  4. In the slow cooker, spread about 1/2 cup of sauce across the bottom. Add a double layer of noodles, breaking to fit. Spread 1/3 of the cottage cheese mixture (it's ok if the layer is spotty and not overly thick), followed by 1/3 of the remaining sauce and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.
  5. Repeat the layers (noodles, cottage cheese mixture, sauce and mozzarella) twice more.
  6. Drizzle 1/3 cup (more or less) of water around the edges (see note above).
  7. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Turn off, remove the insert (if it's removable) to a heatproof spot or trivet and let sit for 20 minutes before serving (you can dig in before that but it might be just a tad soupy and lava hot).

Notes

  • Slow Cooker: slow cookers vary in size and shape. The only slow cooker I've ever made this in is 4.5-quarts and about 8 3/4-inches in diameter and 5 inches deep (the lasagna doesn't fill it up all the way; there's probably a couple inches left after layering). You could easily 1 1/2 or double the recipe for larger slow cookers (or decrease for smaller).
  • No-Boil Noodles: I've made this with several brands of no-boil lasagna noodles. I've found the Barilla brand needs hardly any water around the edges before cooking whereas the Target whole wheat lasagna noodles and Trader Joe's lasagna noodles need 1/4-1/3 cup water. It will vary based on brand.
  • Layers: it's a little counterintuitive to stack lasagna noodles on top of each other but in the case of slow cooker lasagna, it's ok and actually helps give a nice, hearty layer of noodles after cooking. A single layer of noodles cooked this long in the slow cooker would be unnoticeable (and dare I say a little mushy) after cooking.
  • Noodles: I've only ever used no-boil noodles here so feel free to experiment with regular noodles (I'd suggest cooking them for a couple minutes but leaving them quite al dente).
  • Meat: the recipe as written is for a meatless lasagna but we've added meat now and again. Simply brown whatever meat (ground turkey, beef, sausage, pork, etc) with a bit of salt and pepper and maybe some diced onion and minced garlic, drain any excess grease and stir the meat into the red sauce mixture before assembling.
  • Cottage Cheese: and finally (phew!), I've tried this with ricotta and we much prefer it with cottage cheese. If you aren't a fan of the texture of cottage cheese, get over it. Ha! Just kidding. You can try blending the cottage cheese a bit to smooth out the texture. I found that ricotta (no matter how much water I added around the edges) dried out the lasagna, probably due to the long cooking time, plus I'm steadfast in the cottage cheese loving camp so I prefer it here.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Serving Calories 410kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 40g (13%) Protein 28g (56%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Cholesterol 67mg (22%) Sodium 1278mg (53%) Fiber 5g (20%) Sugar 13g (26%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 Serving
Calories 410kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 40g 13%
Protein 28g 56%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 1278mg 53%
Fiber 5g 20%
Sugar 13g 26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.