This recipe is great for those long cold days. Prepare it in the morning, let it cook all day and it will be delicious when you are ready to eat.
Ingredients
- 225 g (½ lb) extra lean ground beef
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 mL (2 tsp) dried oregano
- 1 mL (¼ tsp) hot pepper flakes
- 1 jar (700 mL) passata (strained crushed tomatoes)
- 250 mL (1 cup) water
- 10 whole grain lasagna noodles
- 1 tub (475 g) light ricotta cheese
- 1 container (142 g/5 oz) baby spinach, washed, chopped
- 60 mL (¼ cup) chopped fresh basil or parsley
- 30 mL (2 tbsp) grated Parmesan cheese
- 125 mL (½ cup) shredded part skim mozzarella
Directions
- Lightly spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray.
- In a large non-stick skillet, brown beef breaking up with spoon. Scrape out beef into a colander and let drain. Wipe out skillet and return to medium heat; cook beef, onion, garlic, oregano and hot pepper flakes for 5 minutes or until softened. Add passata and water and remove from heat.
- In a bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, spinach, basil and Parmesan cheese.
- Spread some of the meat sauce over bottom of slow cooker. Lay lasagna noodles in a single layer, breaking as necessary to fit. Top with one quarter of the sauce and one third of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice ending with meat sauce on top. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours. About 15 minutes before serving lasagna, sprinkle mozzarella over top, cover and let cook on Low until melted.
- Little chefs feeling adventurous in the kitchen? Ask them to help layer ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Don’t have fresh basil or parsley? Use 15 mL (1 tbsp) dried basil and 30 mL (2 tbsp) dried parsley.
- Switch things up. Try lean ground turkey instead of lean ground beef. Try other cooked vegetables such as zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant or carrots.
- Do you have leftovers? Serve for lunch the next day or store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and heat when ready to serve.
