This week’s Crock Pot Thursday recipe comes from Betty Crocker, and it is everything you would expect from a Betty Crocker recipe. It is simple, tasty, and classic. My kids have recently started watching Garfield, so when this recipe was chosen for this week’s meal, they were beyond excited. Garfield loves lasagna, and so my kids do, too. Garfield also loves naps, so fingers crossed you guys!

SLOW COOKER LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
3 cans (15 oz each) Italian-style tomato sauce (or substitute a can of diced tomatoes for one of the cans of tomato sauce)
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 uncooked lasagna noodles (NOT ready-to-use noodles. Use the regular kind!)

DIRECTIONS
1. Cook sausage and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain.

2. Stir in tomato sauce (and diced tomatoes if using), basil and salt.

3. Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. (Refrigerate remaining mozzarella cheese while lasagna cooks and try not to eat it all.)

4. Spoon one-fourth of the sausage mixture into the slow cooker; top with 5 noodles, broken into pieces to fit. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with 5 noodles, remaining cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with remaining 5 noodles and remaining sausage mixture.

5. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until noodles are tender.

6. Sprinkle top of lasagna with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into pieces.

Makes 8 servings

FEEDBACK
Kim
My hubby is taking on the role of SAHD this summer, so he was in charge of shopping for and preparing this recipe. On my way home from work, he warned me that there was a serious flaw in the recipe because it seemed like there was not near enough sauce and the top noodles were really dry. So he added some water to cook it a bit longer. When I got home, he realized he had shut the crock pot off instead of adding another hour. I peaked in the pot to find a fairly dry top layer, so I said… Are you sure you made enough sauce? With an eye roll and sigh, he said yes and began listing the ingredients, which included a 15 oz can of tomato sauce. I said, I’m pretty sure the recipe called for 3 cans. He said no… Then looked it up again. Sure enough. He said he thought it meant 3 cans totaling 15 oz. Anyhoo, we added another can on top with the layer of cheese and nuked the whole pot for 6 minutes. Despite all efforts to annihilate this recipe, we all thought that it was REALLY good. Our 2yo had THREE helpings. I can’t wait to try again!

Linda
I have been wanting to try lasagna in the crock pot for a long time, but worried that I would end up with less than delicious results. This recipe nailed good flavor, easy preparation, and satisfying lasagna aroma. I used regular lasagna noodles, and used one can of tomatoes instead of all tomato sauce. I will prepare this again!!!

Me
We loved the flavor of this lasagna, but our noodles were terribly soggy. The kids didn’t care, but we adults sure were disappointed. I’m guessing it’s because I used ready-to-use noodles and not the traditional lasagna noodles. Don’t make the same mistake as I did. The disappointment on your lasagna-loving husband’s face will make you sad.

I used my 6.5-Quart Crock-Pot Programmable Touchscreen Slow Cooker to make this Slow Cooker Lasagna.

Visit FunnyIsFamily’s profile on Pinterest.

[Tweet “Classic lasagna in the slow cooker? YUM!”]