Hearty Slow-Cooker Lasagna
Lasagna is a popular holiday meal, but it's hard to find time to put it together. This slow cooker version will allow you to enjoy time with your family and still put an elegant dinner on the table. —Kathryn Conrad, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Reviews
Another winner from Taste of Home! I just made it for an extended family Christmas buffet and it got rave reviews. I do not understand those who think it is complicated, or easier to make in the oven. It is neither, and the convenience of making it the day before and then just setting the crockpot is terrific. I think the zucchini and carrot give it a depth of flavor other lasagnas lack, as well as added nutrition. I did saute the carrot first for about 5 minutes before adding the zucchini and onion, as it is a denser vegetable. Also, I doubled the amount of ground beef (1 lb for 8 people would be 1/8 lb or less meat per person after browning - really? That's less than the cheapest McDonald's hamburger patty!). A mea culpa - I didn't think it would stand up like in the picture, so I just let people serve themselves out of the crockpot, but when my husband and I came to eat the leftovers today, lo and behold, it stood up!! So maybe it would have using the foil technique mentioned below and would make an impressive presentation for a special dinner. One last suggestion - I garnished it per the recipe but next time I think I will add the tomatoes maybe halfway through, as somewhat cooked they taste even better, which is why I guess the Brits like grilled tomatoes for breakfast.
This is an excellent lasagna! Love that I can prep it the night before and the kids can set it and forget it when they get home from school. I also lined mine with foil as Wildwestwishes suggested.
Was just ok. I agree with Imm2497 - more difficult than making lasagna in a baking pan.
This sounded really interesting but complicated. I started to make this in the crockpot but ended up just making it the regular way in the oven, much easier and only took an hour to bake.
Linda line the crock pot with foil. Then spray with cooking spray ;0)
I haven't tried this recipe yet, and before you all go ballistic, I have a question. The picture looks really nice, but how did you get it out of the crock pot without it completely falling apart? I understand about the foil directions. Do you do the spokes so closely as to completely cover the bottom AND sides of the pot? And does it cook so solidly that it isn't juicy and alternately isn't dripping when you remove it? I really think this would be something I want to try, but have concerns that serving something like this would fall apart or be over cooked.Addendum: Thank you to 'wildwestwishes' for your response. This makes better sense than the foil strips. I think I will give this a try later this week.