Lasagna is a time consuming meal but a big crowd favorite. If you want lasagna but don’t have the hour to prep, try this easy Crockpot Meat Lasagna Recipe.
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Last week I decided that I wanted to try making lasagna in a crockpot. I thought, “Hey, crockpot lasagna sounds easy! I don’t have to cook the noodles? YAH!”
Boy was I wrong.
Making lasagna in the crockpot is just as time consuming as making lasagna the old fashioned boil-the-noodles way. Unless you buy the oven ready lasagna noodles. Oven ready lasagna noodles are the key ingredient to crockpot lasagna.
I must say that lasagna in a crockpot is quite tasty and may be worth the effort once in awhile.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
1 small white onion, diced
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt and pepper
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 box oven ready lasagna noodles
2 jars your favorite tomato sauce OR My Mom’s Tomato Sauce
Directions
1. In a large skillet, saute your onions, ground beef, and dried basil over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Optional: drain your meat in a strainer – I like to do this to get rid of the extra fat!
2. Mix together the egg, ricotta, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Put the rest of the mozzarella in the refrigerator.
3. Cover the bottom of your crockpot with a layer of thin sauce.
4. Break your lasagna noodles to fit into the bottom of the crockpot. Spoon a layer of meat onto the noodles. Spread a layer of the ricotta mixture on top of the meat. Spoon a light layer of tomato sauce on top of the meat.
5. Add another layer of broken noodles. Add your meat and ricotta (skip the sauce!). Add another layer of noodles. Then add your meat, ricotta, and sauce. TOP with noodles and a thin layer of sauce.
6. Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours until your noodles are soft. I checked mine at 5 hours by piercing the top layer with a knife – it was perfect! Top the lasagna with remaining mozzarella cheese – cover and let stand for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Crockpot Meat Lasagna
Ingredients
Method
- In a large skillet, saute your onions, ground beef, and dried basil over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Optional: drain your meat in a strainer – I like to do this to get rid of the extra fat!
- Mix together the egg, ricotta, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Put the rest of the mozzarella in the refrigerator. 3. Cover the bottom of your crockpot with a layer of thin sauce.
- Break your lasagna noodles to fit into the bottom of the crockpot. Spoon a layer of meat onto the noodles. Spread a layer of the ricotta mixture on top of the meat. Spoon a light layer of tomato sauce on top of the meat.
- Add another layer of broken noodles. Add your meat and ricotta (skip the sauce!). Add another layer of noodles. Then add your meat, ricotta, and sauce. TOP with noodles and a thin layer of sauce.
- Cook on low heat for 4-6 hours until your noodles are soft. I checked mine at 5 hours by piercing the top layer with a knife – it was perfect! Top the lasagna with remaining mozzarella cheese – cover and let stand for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Thanks for sharing! Sounds delicious and pretty straight forward! Will definitely try next week 🙂
Looks so cheesy and delicious! I need to try it!
Yum! This doesn’t sound too bad… tearing the cooked noodles is always the worst part for me!
I had a “sign in” book when people came to write little notes in the hospital. I also had a cute blue robe (for my boy). You will be getting lots of shots, and if you are breast-feeding, you are going to be opening your robe a lot, so I just wanted a cute one to wear when people came to visit and walk around the halls. It was too uncomfortable to wear pjs, since your bleeding too. I could see you with a cute monogram one that maybe someone could make you and have you write about it 😉
I wish I had been more prepared when it came to my hospital bag, but we were so far away from the hospital, and we went to the city to stay over a week before we ended up getting induced, so it was hard to know what pack. Then we got stuck in the NICU for 5 days, and pretty near starved to death. SO next time I have a baby, I’m going to be more prepared!!
Sounds delicious!
I would suggest adding a robe to your bag. If you want to walk the halls, it will help. At least, I thought so. 🙂
It was definitely easy if you hate the cooked noodles!
Oh it was SO cheesy and good! Putting the cheese on last makes a huge difference.
It was!
You’re very welcome! I hope that you test out the recipe! Let me know how it goes.
Thanks Deanna! I have a small robe in my bag now!
Oh my goodness! I keep worrying that I will end up having to go to the hospital from somewhere random and won’t have my bag on me!
I definitely have a robe now, it’s just nothing special! I kind of want to go get a cute one now… =0)
Mine looks a lot like yours! Don’t forget chargers for cell phones and stuff.