Crock Pot Lasagna or Baked Lasagna

Update: Lasagna is so easy, I don’t know why I haven’t made it for years. Yes, really, years. I made this Baked Lasagna pictured on the left without even referring to a recipe.

Just wish I had some Fazoli’s breadsticks to go with it.

I’m a fan of the oven version more than the crock pot, because the slow cooker tends to turn noodles to mush. But if you have 2-4 hours you need to be gone and can put the ingredients into your slow cooker and let it go, try it out. No way does this need 6-8 hours.

Crock Pot Version:

I made this for a client yesterday, and am posting a slightly revised edition today so my son can make it quickly in his new crock pot!

1/2 to 1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce
28 oz crushed or diced tomatoes
1 T any combo Italian seasoning, basil, oregano, garlic powder
1/2 t salt

8 oz ricotta cheese
2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt & pepper
1 egg
2 cups mozzarella

8 oz lasagna noodles

Brown ground beef and onion; drain. Add sauce and simmer 5 minutes.

Combine ricotta, egg, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, and 1 1/2 cups of the mozzarella

Place 1/4 of the meat sauce mixture into crock pot. Layer 3-4 UNcooked lasagna noodles on top, breaking as needed to arrange. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture on noodles. Repeat layers two more times, with a final topping off meat sauce.

Cook on low 3-4 hours. Top with remaining mozzarella, if desired.

Serve with garlic bread and a salad or vegetable.

Baked Version:

This uses less sauce, because the crock pot is deeper and causes a smaller batch to dry out.

1/2 to 1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce

8 oz ricotta cheese
2 tsp Italian seasoning
salt & pepper
1 egg
2 cups mozzarella

8 oz lasagna noodles

Prepare like the crock pot version, leaving out the can of tomatoes and additional seasonings. Layer in an 8×8 pan starting with sauce, then noodles, cheese mixture, and repeat until ingredients gone; cover with foil and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, let set for 5-10 minutes, and serve. I let this set for about 20 minutes, and the pieces came out clean and square and didn’t ooze all over the place at all, and it was still piping hot!