Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Slow Cooker Lasagne...

Well, who knew you could make lasagne in your slow cooker (crockpot) and have it turn out just like the oven baked variety? Of course, not every variation of lasagne will suit a slow cooker but your bolognaise/white sauce variety will work. I used this recipe (from Weight Watchers) as a guide then modified it slightly to suit my tastes. The smell coming from the kitchen when I got home at 6pm was amazing!
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I browned the onion, garlic and mince in a fry pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Then added 1 small zucchini and carrot, both grated - this adds extra veggies and you can hide them. I cooked this off for 2 minutes then added a jar of my favourite pasta sauce (in this case, Five Brothers Summer Tomato & Basil). I gave a few shakes of dried oregano, basil and thyme and a good crack of salt and pepper.
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Now the layering - I used fresh lasagne sheets (Latina) - first spoon in enough sauce to cover the bottom of the cooker then top with a sheet of lasagne, cut to size - fill in gaps with bits of lasagne sheet. Top this with more beef sauce and mushroom slices...
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I used light cheese mix and ricotta - spoon dollops of the ricotta/cheese mix over the beef (be naughty and add a bit of extra cheese too) ...
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Continue with another layer ...
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When you get to the top layer (I used 3 layers of lasagne sheets), top with beef and mushrooms again then sprinkle with parmesan and mozzarella.
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Make sure you TURN ON your slow cooker (I used the auto setting but low would do) - leave the house for 3 hours and return to the beautiful aroma of a cooked lasagne - ready to go!
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Some recipes say to cook for 6-8 hours but mine was ready in 3 hours (2-5pm) so I turned it off then until dinner time (and switched back on for 1/2 hour to bring up to heat). Serve with a simple green salad and crusty bread rolls (or not, if you are watching your weight!).
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TASTE EVALUATION: The taste was certainly there but after that much cooking the pasta had practically melted into the dish. I would like to try the dry frilly lasagne sheets next time as they might be thicker. Definitely a dish to play around with - I might try a proper white sauce next time too. Chalk it up as a success!
Cheers - Joolz

8 comments:

  1. I'm all for the crock pot at the moment........this looks great so will give it a go........

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  2. What a great idea. I never thought of lasagne as a slow cooker meal, but, hey, that looks fantastic! :) I'll have to try it. It looks like a comfort food for cool weather. :)

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  3. I have seen a few recipes for crockpot lasagne but have never tried it but as it is my sons favourite might have to make it soon.

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  4. You always take pics of the prettiest sunsets. I love the dishcloths and went on a frenzy of making them a few months ago. I have given them as gifts and won't have to buy any for a lifetime. I laughed at the pic you shared of the filthy mess that man lived in, yikes! We have a show on television called "Hoarders" and believe me I really think the problem with most of these people is that they are just too lazy to clean up after themselves. One woman lived in a nasty mess for years and what was she doing, why lying in her nest of a corner and playing with her cell phone! She claimed that was how she spent her time. I am with you, I couldn't live in that environment ever. It just makes no sense to me. Makes my skin crawl right out the door, lol.
    Have a great weekend.
    (((HUGS))) Susanne :)

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  5. Hi Joolz, I found you thru Chookyblue. Love the idea of lasagne in the slow cooker. Just a question, what setting did you cook it on, low or high? Oh, and does the cooker need to be brushed with butter or anything to stop sticking? Gotta try this out.

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  6. Hi joolz, your recipe sounds yummy! I will try this out on my boys in the very near future as it is getting colder now. I have made a meat loaf in my cooker quite a few times quite successfully too! It's nice on sandwhiches next day if there are any leftovers too. sue~nz

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  7. I haven't tried lasagne in the slow cooker before....but I'm giving it a go today. Thanks for sharing!
    Cheers....Jane.

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  8. Another recipe I'll definately be trying out .... yummmm and thanks!

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