I love a meal that tastes great and is made in the Crockpot. Prepare this in the morning and then don’t think about it until you are ready to serve dinner. Since the cook time isn’t as long as traditional Crockpot meals, we like to make this on the weekends when we are home, but are doing things around the house. I hope your family enjoys this as much as ours! This recipe works great in a 6 quart Crockpot and serves 8 generously, but if you have a smaller Crockpot, you can just halve the recipe.
To get started, you need to brown your meat. After no pink remains, drain the excess fat, turn your heat to low and add your favorite spaghetti sauce and the water. Stir and bring to a simmer while you prepare the cheese filling.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together the cottage cheese (you can use ricotta too), eggs and shredded cheese. Get out your package of uncooked lasagna and you are ready to get this going in your Crock-Pot!
Cover the bottom of your slow cooker with some of the meat sauce.
Break the lasagna to fit the shape of your slow cooker and lay the first layer down. It doesn’t have to be perfect- the pasta will expand as it cooks.
Add a cheese layer and more sauce, then the lasagna again. I usually get 4 or 5 layers, so this makes a nice thick lasagna!
End with a lasagna noodle layer and top with the remaining meat sauce.
Cover and cook on low for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Slow Cooker cooking times may vary.
When there is about 10 minutes left- cover the lasagna with the remaining shredded cheese and let it melt. I like to turn off the slow cooker and let the lasagna sit for 30 minutes or so for easier cutting and serving. This meal is great served with a fresh salad and a glass of wine. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/2 lb. Italian sausage
- 2 (24 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 (24 oz) container of cottage cheese
- 3 cups Mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup Romano cheese
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons parsley
- 1 (16 oz.) package regular lasagna noodles, uncooked
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Brown beef and sausage in large skillet until no pink remains and then drain.
- Season with salt & pepper.
- Add spaghetti sauce and water.
- In a mixing bowl combine cottage cheese, 1-1/2 cups Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan and Romano cheeses, eggs and parsley.
- Cover the bottom of a 6 qt. Crockpot with 1 1/2 cups or so of meat sauce.
- Top with lasagna noodles.
- Add a layer of the cheese mixture.
- Cover with meat sauce again.
- Add a layer of lasagna noodles.
- Then a layer of cheese mixture and repeat until ingredients are gone ending with meat sauce over the noodles.
- Cover with lid.
- Cook on low 3 1/2 -4 1/2 hours or until liquid is absorbed.(3 hours 45 minutes was perfect with my Crockpot, but slow cooker times may vary)
- Shut off Crockpot and top with remaining Mozzarella cheese and cover to melt-maybe 10 minutes.
- Turn of heat and let sit for 15 minutes or so for neater cutting and serving.
- Serve with a fresh salad.
- Enjoy!
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