Many other reviewers have noted that - as written - the lasagna needs to be watched carefully for appropriate cook time. That pretty much negates the benefit of a crockpot approach for me (I prefer to just start the food, then not worry about it.) What the recipe is really missing is WATER. Before assembling, mix your tomato sauce with equal parts water. Use that as your tomato mixture. With the extra water, the recipe won't turn out as dry. It will take longer to cook - about 6-8 hours on low. The benefit there is you can pretty much go to work, run errands, etc. while your food cooks. Now it makes sense as a crockpot recipe again.
We really enjoyed this!! I did some playing around with it as others have. Replaced the cottage cheese with Ricotta and I used more tomato sauce and paste to make more of the sauce as I have one of the old crockpots that's just huge. I also put in some Italian seasoning and some roasted garlic. Just make sure that all your noodles are covered with the sauce and it will come out just great. The time was a little different for me too. It only took about 4 1/2 to 5 hours in my pot, but you have to remember that all crockpots are not the same, the size and shape can change the timing a great deal. I've made this twice now and it has come out wonderful both times. I serve it with Mama D's Italian bread (from this site) and a salad and what a meal!! Thanks Kim for a great way to make homemade lasagna without all the fuss!
This turned out very well! Delicious and filling. Of course, I had to read the reviews before attempting this. First, yes, do away with the salt entirely. The pasta sauce will have enough of it. Second, to make the cheese mixture easier to spread (I substituted fat-free ricotta for cottage cheese), add a slightly beaten egg. Finally, make sure that you are using oven-ready/no-boil lasagna noodles (don't cook them beforehand) instead of the regular kind. They will absorb the liquids and therefore cook on their own. It really does depend on your pot, but my lasagna cooked in just under four hours. The sides were slightly burned (but I like it that way... and I'm thankful I sprayed the pot with Pam before adding the ingredients). Next time I think I might add some drained canned mushrooms to the sauce to make sure that I get my serving of vegetables, since I will definitely make this again (no more Stouffer's for me).
If all items are preassembled and put in the 'fridge the night before, it needs to only be in the slow cooker for half the recommended time.
This is such a hit! I have made it several times before and people always ask for the recipe. Today was the first time I brought it to work and everyone raved about it. Normally, I follow the recipe, but this time I added a big jar of Ragu to the hamburger, onion, and garlic. I add extra mozzarella on top in the last hour so it is cheesier on top. I also cooked it for 1 hour on low and 2 1/2 hours on high and it was wonderful. The noodles were just right. I will continue to make this often. Thank you.
We did a lot of changes but loved it. We used Ricotta cheese instead of cottage, used fresh basil in the sauce mixture, added jar sauce over the top of the filled crock pot and topped off with some of the saved mozzeralla cheese the last 30 minutes. This is easy and a keeper.
Delicious and perfect. I feel it's a good idea to read every review if possible, at least skim them, because everyone's crockpot and experience is different and you can avoid costly mistakes. I did that and was able to make the adjustments that made this dish turn out wonderful. This was the first dish I made in my new 6-quart slow cooker (call me lasagna lover). I used 3 cups jarred spaghetti sauce, 1 cup water, and half a can diced tomatoes in juice because I had it left over from another day. I added an egg to the ricotta and used minced dried onion instead of a fresh one, and garlic powder. Also added some Italian spices, not too much, and no salt. I used 12 oz. whole wheat lasagna, the regular kind, not precooked. I cooked the whole dish on low for EXACTLY 4 hours, and it turned out heavenly. I think a lot of the problem of dry, chewy noodles comes from overcooking...do not be tempted to keep on cooking. Cover the noodles in sauce and mozzarella, and you will be fine. I didn't use the high setting at all. Will repeat often.
I substituted 2-jars of spaghetti sauce for the tomatoes onions and garlic. Added minced garlic (from the jar) oregano italian seasoning and salt to taste. Also I added italian sausage to the hamburger. It came out delicious but a bit overcooked at 8-hours in the crock pot. Next time I will adjust to 6-hours.
I hated this lasagne. It was VERY salty and I saw no benefit to cooking it in the slow cooker. No time was saved. It's faster to cook lasagne in the oven and the taste was lacking. I'll stick with my tried and true lasagne recipe from Bon Appetit!
