Crock Pot Lasagna
I'm always looking for new ways to use my Crock Pot (a.k.a. slow cooker). It really is one of the most used items in my kitchen. I think one of the things I love most about it is it can be used year round. Don't want to heat up your kitchen in the summertime by turning on your oven? Use your Crock Pot. Want to save on your electric bill when you've had your electric heat cranking all winter? Use your Crock Pot. And not only that, foods still come out tasting great. It can take a tough, inexpensive cut of meat and turn it into a moist and juicy meal. So when I saw this recipe for Crock Pot Lasagna, I knew I had to put it on the menu to try.
I'm always looking for new ways to use my Crock Pot (a.k.a. slow cooker). It really is one of the most used items in my kitchen. I think one of the things I love most about it is it can be used year round. Don't want to heat up your kitchen in the summertime by turning on your oven? Use your Crock Pot. Want to save on your electric bill when you've had your electric heat cranking all winter? Use your Crock Pot. And not only that, foods still come out tasting great. It can take a tough, inexpensive cut of meat and turn it into a moist and juicy meal. So when I saw this recipe for Crock Pot Lasagna, I knew I had to put it on the menu to try.
- salt to taste
- 1 egg
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 tbsp. garlic minced
- 26 oz spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved optional
- 15 oz small curd cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese divided
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped optional
- lasagna noodles uncooked
- Carbohydrate 139.572447124839 g
- Cholesterol 745.249180998112 mg
- Fat 153.417274522746 g
- Fiber 22.8370250823741 g
- Protein 216.527365013405 g
- Saturated Fat 67.2386284438015 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (2379g)
- Sodium 6709.07565367581 mg
- Sugar 116.735422042465 g
- Trans Fat 21.6296095331808 g
- Calories 2839 calories
Step-by-step
- Brown and crumble ground beef in a large skillet. You need a larger skillet for this because you'll be adding the spaghetti sauce and water to it later. Add in onion and garlic and cook for additional 1-2 minutes. I like to season my beef mixture with a little salt at this point too.
- Drain excess grease from beef. And put back into skillet.
- Pour in spaghetti sauce, water and cherry tomatoes (if using).
- Give it all a good stir, you can turn the heat off at this point. Give it a taste test, add additional salt if necessary.
- In a separate bowl, mix together cottage cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, 2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, egg, pepper and chopped parsley. Put your remaining cheeses back in the fridge, you'll be using those as a topping later.
- Spray Crock Pot with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop approximately 1 cup of meat sauce into bottom of slow cooker.
- Top with one layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. Just do your best to break them up to fit into your crock pot.
- Next top with a layer of cheese mixture.
- Keep adding layers, ending with meat sauce. I was able to get 3 layers in my 5-quart slow cooker.
- Put the lid on and cook on low for 4-6 hours. It took exactly 4 hours in my slow cooker. You want most of the liquid to be absorbed and noodles should be soft.
- When it is finished cooking, add remaining cheeses.
- Put the lid back on for about 10-15 more minutes until cheese is melted.
- Slice and serve it up with a crisp salad and some garlic bread.
The Four-Hour Threshold
Monitoring the slow cooker closely between the four and six-hour mark prevents the pasta from turning into an unmanageable starch paste. Slow cookers trap moisture efficiently, meaning standard dried lasagna noodles require precise liquid ratios to soften without dissolving. Lift the lid only when the internal environment reaches a steady simmer, checking that the noodles yield completely to the tip of a paring knife. Leaving the appliance running past six hours breaks down the protein structure of the cottage cheese and causes the beef fats to separate aggressively from the sauce.
Managing Moisture and Substitutions
Swapping cottage cheese for ricotta alters the moisture content significantly because ricotta holds less whey and requires an extra tablespoon of milk to prevent dryness. Ground turkey works as a substitute for ground beef, but draining the excess liquid thoroughly is mandatory before combining the meat with the spaghetti sauce. Undrained poultry creates pooling liquid at the base of the five-quart vessel, diluting the parmesan and mozzarella binding agents. Adding half a cup of water balances the sauce thickness, ensuring the dry pasta absorbs enough liquid to cook through evenly.
Second-Day Improvements
Refrigerating leftover slices for twenty-four hours allows the starches to fully retrogradely set, transforming a crumbly initial serving into clean, distinct squares. Reheating individual portions in a conventional oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty minutes revives the crisp edges of the melted cheese topping much better than a microwave. Stored in an airtight glass container, the baked layers maintain structural integrity for up to three days without losing moisture.
