Cheese and Sausage Slow Cooker Lasagna
This delicious spoonable lasagna tastes just like a layered lasagna you've fussed over for hours, but that can be our little secret!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 671kcal
Equipment
- box grater optional
Ingredients
- 1 box (16 ounces) dry lasagna noodles you won't use all of it
- 1 jar (32 ounces) marinara sauce your favorite sauce
- 1 (16 ounce) container of ricotta cheese
- 1 (16 ounce) container of cottage cheese, optional (or use 32 ounces of ricotta)
- 2 pounds sweet Italian sausage deeply browned and crumbled
- 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano lightly crushed, divided
- 2 teaspoons dried basil lightly crushed, divided
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder or to taste
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Spray the inside of a 7-quart slow cooker with olive oil spray. Set the temperature to low. Set aside.
- Deeply brown the Italian sausage with 1 teaspoon (each) crushed basil and oregano in a large, deep skillet over medium/high heat. As the meat browns, additionally season it with 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon (each) kosher salt and pepper. When browned, remove from heat.
- Add approximately ½ cup of sauce to the bottom of the prepared slow cooker.
- Randomly break up about 5-6 dry lasagna noodles and layer them as evenly as possible over the sauce.
- Add half of the cooked and crumbled Italian sausage evenly over the pasta.
- Add a light sprinkling of salt and pepper over the meat to season the pasta.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta and cottage cheese (if using) along with ½ teaspoon each dried basil, oregano, and garlic powder.
- Randomly dollop half of the cheese mixture over the sausage layer.
- Pour half of the remaining sauce evenly over the ricotta mixture, and evenly layer 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese and 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese over the sauce.
- Continue layering the remaining ingredients, broken lasagna, browned sausage, salt, and pepper, ricotta mixture, and sauce. Add approximately ½ cup of water to the empty jar of sauce, then shake well to get every last bit of sauce from the jar. Pour the water and sauce mixture around the sides of the slow cooker so the extra moisture will help cook the pasta.
- Top the lasagna with the remaining shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan.Sprinkle the top of the lasagna lightly with basil and oregano (optional).
- Cover the cooker and cook for 4-5 hours on low. About 30 minutes before you’re ready to eat, uncover the cooker to help the cheese brown.
- Cool slightly before spooning and serving. Enjoy!!
Video
Notes
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
May be frozen after cooking. Store in an airtight freezer container, label and date the container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 671kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 55g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 2056mg | Potassium: 402mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 608IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 540mg | Iron: 2mg
