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Your favorite, comforting lasagna can be made in the slow cooker in no time! This Crock Pot Lasagna is really easy to put together and tastes just as good as the classic version. Forget spending an hour in the kitchen and spend 15 minutes prepping this delicious lasagna!
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Crock Pot Lasagna
I am updating this Crock Pot Lasagna today, an old recipe from my site. It was one of the first recipes I ever shared, but is one of my favorites. I am a huge fan of lasagna, and always have been. I love how much flavor it has and how it reminds me of my mom’s lasagna growing up.
I took that classic lasagna recipe we all loved and made it super simple. What makes it so simple? Well I use a slow cooker to cook the lasagna and you only have to do minimal preparation. If you have 15 minutes, then you have time to throw this recipe together.
For this recipe you will notice I used ground beef, but I have made this recipe using ground turkey for a lighter option, and also a vegetarian version, leaving the meat out all together. All three work wonderfully and taste great. My favorite happens to be the ground turkey because it adds that extra protein and makes the lasagna a little heartier. Feel free to make it with whatever you fancy!
The recipe requires six ingredients::a jar of tomato sauce {or you can use a homemade version}, cottage cheese,ricotta cheese,mozzarella cheese, the meat and the noodles. So simple! You combine the cheeses together and the meat and sauce together and then go ahead and layer everything in your slow cooker. I promise you will not be disappointed with this Crock Pot Lasagna.
While this would be the perfect winter meal, it also makes a really nice summer meal. Heck, I think it makes a great meal all year round. The nice thing in the summer is you don’t heat your house up with your slow cooker. Sometimes when I make a dish like lasagna in the oven, during the summer, it really heats up the house. Right now, being 30 week pregnant, the last thing I need is todo is heat up the house!
If you are a fan of your slow cooker, like me, then you need to bookmark this Crock Pot Lasagna recipe! The simplicity alone makes it a favorite of mine.
Yield: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
Your favorite, comforting lasagna can be made in the slow cooker in no time! This Crock Pot Lasagna is really easy to put together and tastes just as good as the classic version. Forget spending an hour in the kitchen and spend 15 minutes prepping this delicious lasagna!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef {or meat of your choice like turkey, or leave the meat out}
- 29 oz. can tomato sauce
- 8 oz pkg. lasagna noodles, uncooked
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese (part-skim)
- Garnish with fresh basil and parsley.
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a 6 quart or bigger crock pot with cooking spray.
- Cook the ground beef until brown and stir in tomato sauce (and any additional herbs you may want in the sauce, like basil, oregano and parsley).
- Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the crock pot. Lay the uncooked noodles over the sauce so they cover the sauce (about 1/3 of the package and I break them to fit).
- Combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese and 3 1/2 cups of mozzarella in a bowl. Spoon 1/3 of the cheeses over the noodles.
- Repeat these layers twice (sauce, noodles, cheese) and top with remaining sauce and sprinkle the 1/2 cup of remaining mozzarella cheese on top of the lasagna.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until noodles are soft (don't overcook!) and let stand in crock pot for at least 5 minutes with lid off when done cooking.
- Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and basil. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Feel free to use ground turkey instead of beef or you can even do a vegetarian version and leave the meat out all together.
I like adding a big handful of fresh parsley and basil that has been chopped to my finished lasagna.
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If you love this slow cooker recipe you might also like these:
Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
Slow Cooker Turkey Kale Lasagna Soup
Slow Cooker Coconut Curry Chicken
Related Posts:
- Crock Pot Beef Stew
- Arugula Salad with Capers
- Crock Pot Applesauce
FAQs
Information. Reheating leftovers in a slow cooker is not recommended. Cooked food should be reheated on the stove, in a microwave, or in a conventional oven until it reaches 165 °F. Then the hot food can be placed in a preheated slow cooker to keep it hot for serving—at least 140 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
Do you need to preheat a slow cooker? ›
Preheating the crock before adding ingredients or cooking on the highest setting for the first hour will ensure a rapid heat start and will shorten the time foods are in the temperature danger zone. This is highly recommended when cooking meat or poultry in a slow cooker.
How long can you warm food in a crock pot? ›
Don't leave it on 'warm' all day
Most appliances will automatically shut off after 20 or so hours on this setting, but you shouldn't leave food in a slow cooker for an extended length of time. The general rule of thumb is that 2-4 hours is the maximum length of time you can leave food in a slow cooker on warm.
Can I reheat taco meat in a crock pot? ›
You can even reheat taco meat in the crock pot if you have leftovers. Crock Pot Taco meat truly is perfect for any parties you might have. We love this recipe, because you just dump everything in the crock pot and walk away. Try one of these other 63 Dump and Go Slow Cooker Recipes.
How do you keep chili from getting watery in a slow cooker? ›
Mix in a scoop of cornstarch, all-purpose flour, or oats.
In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water, then stir this into the pot of chili. For 1 tablespoon of flour, use 2 tablespoons of water. No slurry is required for the absorbent oats; simply stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons.
Can I leave food in a slow cooker overnight off? ›
On some occasions, you'll want to leave food in the slow cooker to keep warm, during Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner, for example, or any other event or holiday. While it's perfectly ok to use your crock pot in this way, try to avoid leaving food on the warming setting for more than four hours.
Is 4 hours on high the same as 8 hours on low? ›
Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on for 12 hours? ›
Is it safe to leave a slow cooker on for 12 hours? Yes, you can use your slow cooker for longer than eight hours, as long as you keep an eye on it. Many slow cookers do have an automatic shutoff after 24 hours.
What happens if you don't brown meat before a slow cooker? ›
Browning Is Better
And if you dredge the meat in flour before you brown it, your sauce will thicken up to make a gravy. You should always brown ground beef or any ground meat in a skillet before adding it to your slow cooker to prevent the meat from clumping up or from adding excess grease to your cooked dish.
Why can't you reheat food in a slow cooker? ›
This is a bad idea for two reasons. Firstly, it will take hours for the leftovers to reheat, which can create a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. 1 Secondly, placing a chilled slow cooker insert on a hot base may cause the insert to crack. (Never store a slow cooker in the freezer, which can damage the insert.)
Given how close that temperature is to the Danger Zone, Crock Pot recommends that you only keep food on the warm setting in your slow cooker for up four hours.
What is the equivalent of 8 hours on low in a slow cooker? ›
Cooking Conversions for Slow Cookers
| Traditional Oven or Stovetop Low | Low Slow Cooker Setting (about 200°F) | High Slow Cooker Setting (about 300°F) |
|---|
| 15-30 minutes | 4-6 hours | 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours |
| 35-45 minutes | 6-8 hours | 3-4 hours |
| 50 minutes- 3 hours | 8-10 hours | 4-6 hours |
Dec 8, 2016
Choose the right cut: Chuck roasts, short ribs, pork shoulders and lamb shanks (think fatty and tougher meats) become meltingly tender with the moist, low heat of a slow cooker. Leaner cuts like pork tenderloin tend to dry out. Likewise, dark meat chicken — thighs, drumsticks, etc.
How long to let crockpot meal cool before refrigerating? ›
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends putting food in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. Doing so helps prevent bacteria growth. “Bacteria grow rapidly between the temperatures of 40 F and 140 F,” the USDA says.
Can you put raw ground beef in a slow cooker? ›
Yes, you can totally cook raw beef in a slow cooker. Many slow-cooker chili recipes have a step for browning the beef before it goes into the Crock-Pot. While this step isn't necessary, caramelizing the meat creates richer, bolder flavors.
Is it safe to reheat food in a slow cooker? ›
You can reheat food that is cooked in a slow cooker but only once. It can be dangerous to reheat food more than once.
Can I leave chili on warm in crockpot all day? ›
So here's the verdict regarding chili food safety: You can leave it in the slow cooker for hours after it's done cooking if the cooker is set to the “low” or “keep warm” setting.
Can you reheat cooked chilli? ›
When you reheat chilli and its temperature increases, it becomes a potential breeding ground for bacteria. Therefore, if you don't finish all of your reheated chilli, it's safer to discard the leftovers.
Does chili taste better in the crockpot? ›
Chili is perhaps the ideal slow-cooker dish because its flavor improves with a long, slow simmer.
