Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna in Slow Cooker
Try this Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna in Slow Cooker recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna in Slow Cooker recipe, or contribute your own.
- cooking spray (i use misto)
- 2 lbs brown mushrooms sliced
- 5 large garlic cloves coarsely chopped
- 1 tbsp coconut or avocado oil divided
- 9 large roasted red peppers jarred*
- 10-12 lasagna noodles (whole wheat brown rice or kamut)
- 16 oz (1 tub) cottage cheese**
- 2 cans x 15 oz tomato sauce low sodium***
- 1 1/4 cups marble cheese shredded & divided
- Carbohydrate 44.7814332533179 g
- Cholesterol 173.25 mg
- Fat 55.6682425434682 g
- Fiber 5.77935141558636 g
- Protein 64.7829537601156 g
- Saturated Fat 34.9430561526173 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (1542g)
- Sodium 1081.80304971792 mg
- Sugar 39.0020818377316 g
- Trans Fat 3.2349450474474 g
- Calories 934 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat nonstick ceramic skillet on high heat and add mushrooms. Cook for 7-10 minutes until mushrooms have shrunk in half and stopped releasing water, stirring occasionally and draining water. Reduce heat to medium and add half the oil. Cook for another few minutes until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a medium bowl.
- Return skillet to the stove and add remaining oil. Add garlic and saute for a minute or until fragrant and browned a bit, stirring frequently. Transfer to a bowl with mushrooms and stir to mix.
- Spray the bottom and walls of a large slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 of a can of tomato sauce, break noodles into pieces and lay to cover the bottom of a slow cooker. Cover with 1/4 cup marble cheese, 3 peppers (I butterflied them with hands taking out straight from a jar - no need to drain well, just a bit), 1/3 mushrooms, 1/3 cottage cheese and 1/3 can of tomato sauce. Repeat this layer 2 more times and then finishing with a layer of noodles and 1/2 can of tomato sauce on top.
- Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours or on High for 3 hours. Turn off the slow cooker, open and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup marble cheese. Cover and let lasagna sit and set for an hour. Cut with a knife or a metal spoon into 8 portions and serve hot.
Mastering the Mushroom Moisture Phase
Cooking down two pounds of brown mushrooms requires patience because water retention dictates ultimate flavor concentration. Sautéing them on high heat for seven to ten minutes allows excess cellular liquid to purge completely before the browning stage begins. Once the pan appears dry and the mushrooms shrink by half, adding oil lets the edges caramelize into a deep, savory foundation that anchors the entire dish.
Layering for Structural Integrity
Building a lasagna inside a ceramic slow cooker insert demands careful distribution of dry noodles and wet components to ensure even hydration. Breaking noodles into manageable pieces allows them to fit the curved perimeter without overlapping excessively, which prevents hard, uncooked pockets from forming during the six-hour low-heat cycle. Alternating layers of jarred roasted red peppers, cottage cheese, and tomato sauce distributes moisture uniformly so the starch absorbs exactly what it needs.
The Crucial Resting Window
Turning off the heating element is only the halfway point of completion, as leaving the covered appliance undisturbed for a full sixty minutes allows starches to relax and slices to hold their shape upon serving. Cutting portions too soon releases trapped steam prematurely and causes the internal layers to slide apart rather than presenting clean squares. Adjusting ingredient quantities proportionally up or down works well within standard slow cooker capacities provided the total volume remains below the maximum fill line.
