Crockpot Lasagna
(This recipe is part of the “Ultimate Comfort Food Experience“)
No Fuss Meal
It was about 15 years ago, my brother and his family from out of town were coming in for a visit. I needed a no-fuss recipe to throw together. The most important aspect to spending quality time with family is to NOT be in the kitchen all day.
Crockpot Kick
I was on a crock-pot kick at the time and decided to try my hand at something different. So I took my “tried and true” lasagna recipe and turned it into a slow cooking idea. Voila! Now bear in mind, I had made lasagna many times before, but never in a crockpot. So it was all up for grabs at this point.
Raves for Crockpot Lasagna
I pulled the ceramic pot from its holder and slapped it down on a hot pad right in the middle of the table. Next thing I knew everybody was diggin’ in for the second go-round. I couldn’t believe the raves I got from my family. I’m guessin’ it was a hit!
It must have made such an impression on my niece all those years ago. I had almost forgotten about it, except she’s brought it up on several occasions recently. So when my family was visiting this last time, I dusted off that old crockpot hidden away on my top shelf. Here we go again: crockpot lasagna, everyone diggin’ in for seconds, then, all of the raves. I’m thinking I will keep this crockpot within reach from now on.
No Pre-cooking the Noodles
The beauty of this recipe is how easy it is. The ONE thing I always hated about making lasagna is cooking the noodles. I will fill you in on a little secret. There is NO, let me repeat myself, NO pre-cooking the noodles with this recipe. You layer the meat sauce, dry lasagna noodles, cheese mixture and so forth. That’s it. Push the 4-hour “high” button and forget about it.
Never Failed Me Yet
This recipe has never failed me yet! Over the years, I’ve made it on numerous occasions. People have always said it is the best lasagna they’ve ever had. Now I’m a little biased, so I want to be careful to not brag. But, in my humble opinion, I would have to agree (wink, wink).
PrintCrockpot Lasagna
No-fail lasagna that is super simple and you don’t have to pre-cook the noodles. It is loaded with flavor through and through. This is a tried and true recipe that I have cooked many times over the years.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-8 hours
- Total Time: -25493282.216667 minute
- Yield: 10-12 servings
Ingredients
Meat Sauce:
- 1 1/2 large Sweet Onion, chopped
- 6 large Garlic Cloves, minced
- Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste
- 2 lbs Hot Italian Sausage, bulk
- 2 28 oz cans Crushed Tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 cup Fresh Basil, chopped
- 3 tablespoons Fresh Oregano, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds
Lasagna
- Meat Sauce (see above)
- Approximately 20-25 Lasagna Noodles, dry
- 24 oz fresh Mozzarella Cheese, divided (16 oz grated) (8 oz cubed)
- 2 cups Parmesan Cheese, grated
- 2 – 15 oz containers Ricotta Cheese
Instructions
For Sauce:
- Saute onions in large dutch oven over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes until tender and translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
- Add Sausage and cook until browned. Drain.
- Add the remaining ingredients and set aside until ready to assemble the lasagna.
For Lasagna:
- Combine the 16 oz of grated Mozzarella, Parmesan, and Ricotta cheeses.
- In a 6-quart, removable crockpot, layer 2 cups meat sauce, 4-5 dry noodles (broken to fit), and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture.
- Continue layering as above 3 more times. End with noodles and meat sauce.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- When noodles are tender, add the remaining 8 oz cubed mozzarella to the top of the lasagna and cook in a 400• oven until cheese melts. Remove from oven and add small basil leaves.
Nutrition
- Calories: 830
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 1630 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 80 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 51 g
- Cholesterol: 92 mg
Crockpot Lasagna – it doesn’t get any better than that! Thanks for posting.
★★★★★