Slow Cooker Lasagna Recipe
🕒 Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
🥘 Cuisine: Italian
🍽️ Category: One Dish Meal
🔪 Keywords: Meat, Weeknight, Easy
📝 Description: Indulge in the comforting flavors of this Slow Cooker Lasagna recipe, perfect for busy weeknights or whenever you’re craving a hearty meal. Layers of tender noodles, savory ground beef, creamy ricotta cheese, earthy mushrooms, and gooey mozzarella cheese come together in this effortless dish that’s sure to become a family favorite.
🛒 Ingredients:
- 8 lasagna noodles
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
🔥 Instructions:
- Prepare the Slow Cooker: Begin by greasing the insert of your slow cooker to prevent sticking.
- Layer the Noodles: Break the lasagna noodles into halves or thirds and place half of them at the bottom of the greased slow cooker insert, forming a single layer.
- Brown the Ground Beef: In a saucepan over medium heat, brown the ground beef until fully cooked. Once cooked, drain any excess fat.
- Season the Beef: Stir in the Italian seasoning with the cooked ground beef, ensuring it’s evenly distributed.
- Build the Layers: Spread half of the seasoned ground beef over the layer of noodles in the slow cooker. Then, layer half of the sauce and water mixture over the beef.
- Add the Mushrooms: Sprinkle half of the sliced mushrooms evenly over the sauce layer.
- Layer the Cheeses: Dollop half of the ricotta cheese over the mushrooms, followed by half of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Repeat the Layers: Repeat the layering process with the remaining ingredients, starting with the noodles and ending with the mozzarella cheese.
- Cover and Cook: Once all the layers are assembled, cover the slow cooker with its lid and set it to cook on low heat for 5 hours. This slow cooking process allows the flavors to meld together and the noodles to become tender.
- Serve and Enjoy: Once the cooking time is complete, carefully remove the lid from the slow cooker, taking in the enticing aroma of the bubbling lasagna. Serve hot slices of lasagna directly from the slow cooker insert, garnishing with fresh herbs like basil or parsley if desired.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions: This Slow Cooker Lasagna pairs beautifully with a crisp green salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette or a side of garlic bread for a complete and satisfying meal. Serve it up for a cozy family dinner or as a crowd-pleasing option for potlucks and gatherings.
📊 Nutritional Information (Per Serving):
- Calories: 873.4
- Fat Content: 47.6g
- Saturated Fat Content: 24.1g
- Cholesterol Content: 180mg
- Sodium Content: 964.5mg
- Carbohydrate Content: 54.4g
- Fiber Content: 4.5g
- Sugar Content: 12.2g
- Protein Content: 54.7g
👩🍳 Chef’s Tips:
- For a lighter option, you can use ground turkey or chicken in place of ground beef.
- Customize the lasagna to your taste by adding additional vegetables such as spinach, bell peppers, or zucchini to the layers.
- To make the lasagna ahead of time, assemble all the layers in the slow cooker insert, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, simply set the slow cooker to cook on low heat and enjoy a stress-free dinner later in the day.
- Leftover lasagna can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or oven until heated through.
Indulge in the rich and satisfying flavors of this Slow Cooker Lasagna recipe, a convenient and delicious way to enjoy a classic Italian dish without the hassle of traditional preparation methods. Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or simply craving comfort food, this recipe is sure to hit the spot!
