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Slow Cooker Lasagna with Ricotta or Cottage Cheese - A Casserole Crock Pot Lasagna

Slow Cooker Bloody Mary Lasagna is a recipe with a not-so-secret ingredient that adds another level of flavor to this popular hearty dish.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 25 minutes
Course: Entree, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bloody mary lasagna, casserole crock pot lasagna, crock pot lasagna, crock pot lasagna with ricotta, lasagna, slow cooker lasagna
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 664kcal
Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 12 oz. tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 46 oz. Bloody Mary Mix
  • 15 oz. ricotta or cottage cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons dried parsley
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 uncooked lasagna noodles
  • 16 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • In a large skillet, brown ground beef and diced onions.  Drain any excess grease if necessary.
    Slow Cooker Lasagna uses ricotta cheese or cottage cheese and uncooked lasagna noodles, and is a recipe with a secret ingredient that adds another level of flavor to this popular hearty dish.
  • To the ground beef, add minced garlic and tomato paste.  Stir and cook for 1 minute.  
  • Reserve one cup of Bloody Mary Mix for later.  Add the remaining Bloody Mary Mix to the ground beef mixture; stir until completely incorporated.  (You can make this sauce the day before, and refrigerate.)
    Slow Cooker Lasagna uses ricotta cheese or cottage cheese and uncooked lasagna noodles, and is a recipe with a secret ingredient that adds another level of flavor to this popular hearty dish.
  • In a separate bowl, mix ricotta (or cottage cheese, or a combo), eggs, dried parsley, parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper.  (This step can also be done ahead and refrigerated.) 
    Slow Cooker Lasagna uses ricotta cheese or cottage cheese and uncooked lasagna noodles, and is a recipe with a secret ingredient that adds another level of flavor to this popular hearty dish.
  • To assemble, prepare a casserole or regular crock pot insert by either spraying directly with non-stick cooking spray, or line with aluminum foil, and then spraying the foil with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Pour the reserved Bloody Mary Mix in the bottom of the crockpot insert.  Layer 3 or 4 of the uncooked lasagna noodles over the Bloody Mary Mix.
    Slow Cooker Lasagna uses ricotta cheese or cottage cheese and uncooked lasagna noodles, and is a recipe with a secret ingredient that adds another level of flavor to this popular hearty dish.
  • Spread 1/2 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles, followed by 1/2 the mozzarella cheese , and 1/2 of the ground beef sauce mixture.  
    Slow Cooker Lasagna uses ricotta cheese or cottage cheese and uncooked lasagna noodles, and is a recipe with a secret ingredient that adds another level of flavor to this popular hearty dish.
  • Repeat with the remaining noodles, ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese, and ending with ground beef sauce. 
  • Cover tightly with the lid, and cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours or until the noodles are completely cooked through.  
    Slow Cooker Lasagna uses ricotta cheese or cottage cheese and uncooked lasagna noodles, and is a recipe with a secret ingredient that adds another level of flavor to this popular hearty dish.
  • Turn off heat, and remove lid.  Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting into the lasagna to serve. 
    Slow Cooker Lasagna uses ricotta cheese or cottage cheese and uncooked lasagna noodles, and is a recipe with a secret ingredient that adds another level of flavor to this popular hearty dish.

Notes

  • We use ground beef, but you could absolutely use ground chicken or ground turkey if you desire.
  • Feel free to mince fresh garlic if desired.  We keep a jar of minced garlic in the refrigerator out of convenience.
  • You can use ricotta cheese or cottage cheese, or a combination of both, for the cheese layer.
  • For easier clean up, we lined the entire crock pot insert with aluminum foil and sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray.  This can be omitted but be sure to spray the insert generously with non-stick spray.
  • We think this recipe is perfect for a casserole crock pot, but it will work just as well in a regular crock pot. You will just need to break up the lasagna noodles to fit accordingly.
  • Prep some of the elements of this recipe the night before to make assembly fast in the morning. Make the ground beef/Bloody Mary sauce and refrigerate. Also, go ahead and prep the ricotta cheese mixture and refrigerate.
  • Use V8 or regular tomato juice for Bloody Mary Mix if needed.  Taste the hamburger tomato sauce and adjust seasonings if desired.
  • If you have a smaller container of Bloody Mary Mix, add water to thin it out and get it to the 46 ounce amount.

Nutrition

Calories: 664kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 2007mg | Potassium: 1101mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1468IU | Vitamin C: 78mg | Calcium: 601mg | Iron: 4mg