In Stride: Crock-Pot Vegetarian Lasagna

4.11.2012

Crock-Pot Vegetarian Lasagna

Crock-Pot Vegetarian Lasagna

I came across this recipe as I was searching for freezer meals last week and have been wanting to try it ever since. It was pretty simple to put together and I'm loving that it is cooking while I do other things. The crock-pot is awesome!

Ingredients

1 large egg

16 oz. part skim ricotta...I substituted cottage cheese

5 oz (or so) baby spinach, coarsely chopped

3 large or 4 small portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced

1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes (hunts)

28 oz. can diced tomatoes (hunts)

3-5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning

pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

15 whole-wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked

3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided

Prep.

*Combine egg, ricotta OR cottage cheese, spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini in a large bowl.

* Combine crushed and diced tomatoes and their juice, garlic, italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper in a medium bowl.

* Generously coat your crock-pot with cooking spray. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the tomato mixture in the crock-pot. Arrange 5 noodles over the sauce, overlapping them slightly and breaking into pieces to cover as much of the sauce as possible. Spread half of the cottage cheese/veggie mixture over the noodles and firmly pat down, then spoon on 1 1/2 cups sauce and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella. Repeat the layering one more time, starting with noodles. top with a third layer of noodles. Evenly spread the remaining tomato sauce over the noodles. Set aside the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella in the fridge.

* Put the lid on the crock-pot and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours. Turn off cooker, sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on the lasagna, cover and let stand for 10 minutes to melt cheese.

Tips and Notes:

The dark gills found on the underside of a portobello mushroom cap are edible, but can turn an dish an unappealing gray color. If you like, gently scrape the gills off with a spoon.