Crockpot Vegetable Lasagna Recipe

It can be easy to have a love, hate relationship with lasagna. You love the make-ahead aspect and the fact that it's delicious, but you hate the hours of work that typically go into making it — right? Well, today we bring you a veggie-packed, simpler way to make lasagna in your crockpot. 

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "There are so many things to love about this recipe. I use a total of eight different vegetables making it a super healthy meal, along with being easy to throw together and absolutely delicious! Even the heartiest of eaters will love this lasagna and they won't miss the meat. It's also easy to make completely vegan by just swapping out the ricotta and mozzarella for dairy-free versions." It pairs well with a fresh salad and some French bread. Read on to learn how to get your house smelling amazing with this crockpot vegetable lasagna!

To make this recipe, you'll need to pick up an onion, garlic, a zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, and fresh basil from the produce department. Then head over to the dry goods aisle and grab some olive oil, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, a can of crushed tomatoes, some no-boil noodles, and marinara sauce. From the dairy aisle you'll need some ricotta and mozzarella cheese, and from your spice cabinet you'll need salt, garlic granules, onion granules, and Italian seasoning. 

"If you only have garlic powder and onion powder, these will work fine. I like the flavor and texture of the granule versions better, so that is always my first choice," Hahn shares. She goes on to say, "The reason I'm using a can of crushed tomatoes along with a jar of sauce is the crushed tomatoes have a high amount of water that we need for this slow cooker method and using this will add more substance than plain water. Also, one jar of sauce is not quite enough ... using a small can eliminates ending up with half a jar of sauce to go to waste."

Rather than put the veggies in the crockpot raw, we're going to sauté them quickly first. Add the oil to a large frying pan and bring heat to medium. Drop in the onion and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Now add the zucchini, mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic granules, and ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning. Sauté for 8 minutes stirring frequently. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time if the pan is getting dry. Now add the roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. Reduce heat to simmer, cover the pan, and let the veggies sit until you are ready to use them.

While the vegetables are cooking, we can whip up the cheese mixture. Pull out a medium bowl and combine the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, the remaining ½ teaspoon of garlic granules, the remaining ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning, and the onion granules. Stir well and set aside.

Ok, we're ready to load up the crockpot and get it cooking. Spray the crockpot with cooking spray and dump in half of the can of crushed tomatoes. Break 2 or 3 lasagna noodles in half and layer them on top of the sauce, then finish the can of sauce on top of the noodles. Now add ⅓ of the vegetable mixture, and ⅓ of the cheese mixture. "The cheese mixture is thick, so just take a spatula and spread it as best you can over the vegetable layer," Hahn remarks. Repeat the layering two more times ending with lasagna noodles and the marinara sauce.

That's it — put the lid on and cook on high for 2 ½ hours or on low for 5 hours. When it's done, add the remaining cheese and cook until that is melted, about 5 more minutes. Top with fresh basil and serve. "The finished lasagna will be a little deconstructed and not as firm as lasagna cooked in a standard baking dish, but this way is so delicious you'll never go back," Hahn shares. Added bonus, you can leave the house while it's cooking!