Crockpot Lasagna with Homemade Meat Sauce and Three Cheeses
By Mason Brooks
Prep
40 min
Cook
240 min
Total
280 min
Servings
8
Level
Easy
For a family dinner that can be started in the morning and served later in the day‚ Crockpot Lasagna with raw lasagna noodles and beef tomato sauce and three cheeses․ Lasagna noodles absorb the sauce․ Ricotta‚ mozzarella‚ and Parmesan cheeses brown and melt to form a topping for the lasagna casserole․
Ground beef and yellow onion with garlic are the main ingredients in the sauce․ Other sauce ingredients are tomato sauce‚ tomato paste‚ oregano‚ basil‚ salt‚ pepper‚ and red pepper flakes․ Tomato products are used extensively so that lasagna noodles can be cooked in a slow cooker without boiling them first․ Ricotta cheese and eggs are used to help hold layers of lasagna noodles and cheese together․ Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses are used as toppings․
After greasing your crockpot‚ pour a little meat sauce over dry noodles․ Layer additional noodles‚ breaking and adjusting as needed to fit‚ with more meat sauce and cheese․ Some cheeses may be held back to layer at the end․ Test for doneness after 4 hours by checking for soft‚ easily punctured noodles and melted cheeses․ The main problem is using a crockpot that is too small․ A six- to eight-quart crockpot is ideal․
Serve the crockpot insert at the dinner table with garlic bread and other side dishes‚ including Parmesan broccoli and Mediterranean and Caesar salads․ Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container or freezer bag after individually quick-freezing․ Other readers recommend that lasagna made with this recipe tastes best if made ahead one day․
Why you'll love this recipe
- Serves eight in one slow cooker, This recipe is useful for making an easy meal ahead of time when other evening plans are in place․
- Regular plain noodles do not need to be preboiled; the tomato sauce provides enough liquid to cook the noodles during simmering․
- Three cheeses commonly used on lasagna by customers seeking classic lasagna flavors are ricotta in the lasagna mixture and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses as toppings․
- Busy families with little time to use an oven may prepare this dish in a six- to eight-quart slow cooker instead to cook the sauce and noodle and cheese layers․
- Leftover portions can be eaten later and saved by refrigerating the recipe in an airtight container or by freezing individual portions of the recipe․
- Picky eaters can request dishes made with beef‚ tomato‚ pasta‚ and cheese with a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes added to the sauce․
Ingredients
- •1 lb ground beef
- •1 small yellow onion (diced)
- •3 cloves garlic (minced)
- •44 oz tomato sauce (one 29-ounce and one 15-ounce can; use plain tomato sauce, not seasoned spaghetti sauce)
- •6 oz tomato paste
- •1 tbsp dried oregano
- •1 tbsp dried basil
- •1 ½ tsp kosher salt (use less to start if using table salt; add more to taste if needed)
- •½ tsp black pepper (add more to taste if needed)
- •½ tsp red pepper flakes
- •12 oz regular lasagna noodles (uncooked; not no-boil noodles)
- •15 oz ricotta cheese
- •2 large eggs
- •16 oz mozzarella (shredded)
- •1 cup Parmesan cheese
- •cooking spray (for greasing the crockpot)
Instructions
- 1
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until it begins to brown, breaking it up as it cooks.
- 2
Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
- 3
Drain the excess fat.
- 4
Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, oregano, basil, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the meat mixture and set aside.
- 5
Taste the sauce and add more salt and/or pepper to taste.
- 6
Set aside 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of Parmesan for the topping.
- 7
In a large bowl, mix the ricotta, eggs, and the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
- 8
Spray a 6- to 8-quart crockpot with cooking spray.
- 9
Add a ladleful of the sauce and meat mixture to the bottom of the crockpot.
- 10
Add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles, breaking and rearranging them as needed to fit.
- 11
Top the noodles with some of the cheese mixture and then more sauce and meat.
- 12
Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, reserving the set-aside cheeses.
- 13
Top with the reserved mozzarella and Parmesan.
- 14
Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours, checking at 4 hours because slow cookers vary.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
520
Protein
36g
Fat
28g
Carbs
30g
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