I know, I’m all about the slow cooker at the moment but that’s because it’s my favourite appliance and winter is an acceptable time to talk about it non-stop. Today I’m sharing my slow cooker lasagne and easy garlic bread.
Slow cooker lasagne and easy garlic bread
If you’ve been visiting here for a while you will know one thing about me. I get on a roll (some may call it an addiction) with food and I make it and make it and make it and then I get sick of it.
At one stage. That addiction as lasagne and I blamed the Thermomix for making it so easy to make bechamel sauce. Now Thermi is going to have to share a little of that blame with mr slow cooker because – and yes I may be a little late to the party – I have discovered slow cooker lasagne.
I will admit, when I took the lid off the slow cooker come dinner time, I said to Will ‘sorry this really doesn’t look too good.’ I dished up a portion, snapped some photos and then served it up and hoped for the best.
One bite in and I was very very happy. The meat was so very tender and apart from the missing crunch that you get on top of an oven-baked lasagne, there was no difference and dare I say this one might have been even better? Especially considering how little work went into it.
The original recipe uses a jar of pasta sauce as the sauce but I used a jar of passata instead (I will sometimes use my homemade veggie packed tomato sauce) and sautéed some onion and garlic for extra flavour. It was good. Seriously good and Will agreed.
I also made a quick loaf of garlic bread from a frozen hot dog roll, butter and garlic. Tastes even better than any of the store-bought ones I think. Next time I’ll have to use my homemade hotdog buns.
I’m yet to try this one on the boys. Dare I admit their favourite lasagne is a frozen one we get from Angelo’s, but I’m adding it to the list for the coming weeks.
What about you? Have you ever made lasagne in the slow cooker? Do you get obsessed with certain foods?
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 500g (1lb) beef mince
- 700g (1 bottle) passata
- 2 tsp basil pesto
- About ¼ cup of water
- Salt
- Pepper
- 250g cottage cheese
- 1 free-range egg
- 1 ½ cups of a combination of grated cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella and or ricotta
- A handful of spinach leaves
- Dried lasagne sheets (I used 7)
- In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion and garlic and saute, stirring, until softened.
- Add the mince and cook, breaking up any lumps, just until browned.
- Add the passata and then pour a little bit of water into the bottle and shake it up to clean it then tip that in the pan too.
- Stir through the pesto and some salt and pepper and then set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg and grated cheeses.
- Spread ⅓ of the meat sauce onto the bottom of the slow cooker pan and then add a layer of spinach.
- Cover with dried pasta sheets (you may need to break them a little) then spread with ⅓ of the meat again.
- Dollop half the cheese mixture over the top of the meat and then cover with more pasta sheets.
- Finish with the rest of the meat sauce and then the rest of the cheese.
- Cook on high for 2 hours and then low for 1 hour or 5 hours on low.
Easy peasy garlic bread
Ingredients
- 1 hot dog roll
- 3 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tsp minced garlic
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180C (390F) fan-forced.
- Slice the roll 7-9 times (depending how thick you want the slices) almost to the bottom of the roll.
- Smoosh the butter and garlic together until mixed up then divide it evenly between the slices and spread each one with the garlic butter.
- Wrap the loaf in aluminium foil and bake for 15 minutes.
I’m your opposite number – I should use my slow cooker more than I do. And given how much I love lasagna this would be a great place to start. I do like the crunch of oven-baked, but I’d be willing to give it up for the convenience of a slow cooker meal.
Yes it’s worth giving up Laura. I have made it again since (added a few extra veges this time) and it was so good.
I didn’t know you could make lasagne in a sow-cooker. I do love lasagne and it’s great comfort food and a meal everyone in the family loves. And of course it’s not complete without a serve of garlic bread! xx
It’s so good Charlie. Now I am going to experiment with some new flavours.
I love crock pot lasagna. Fantastic SRC choice!
I do too now Cindy!
This looks d’lish!! I have been seeing similar recipes floating around the net and I have wondered how good they really are. Reading your post has given me the final push to try it out myself – thank you!!
Happy SRC Reveal Day! ;-)
I hope you like it Avril!
Ooh interesting! I’ve never made it in a slow cooker before. But yours looks so delicious that I want to! :D
Give it a go Lorraine! I was pleasantly surprised.
I have made lasagna in the crockpot! I was quite skeptical at first, so I didn’t try it for quite some time after I found the recipe. Silly me – it tastes just like ‘real’ lasagna, but it’s so much easier. Great SRC pick!
That’s exactly what I was like Anna!
I love cooking in my slow cooker, especially when it’s hot outside. This is a perfect recipe. Thanks!
You’re welcome Erin!
It doesn’t look pretty, but it is delicious! I’m so glad you enjyed it too :)
Agreed Sarah!
Yummo, Claire. I made garlic bread with a hotdog bun not too long ago and I stuffed it with not only the garlic butter but some mixed mozzarella and cheddar cheese. I want to try your lasagne!
Oh stop it Maureen! I’ll have to add cheese next time too.
Wow, this looks just wonderful. I could eat this every night! I’m not familiar with passata – is that similar to a pasta sauce?
Yep Susan you could just use pasta sauce. Passata is basically just cooked purreed tomatoes or super plain tomato pasta sauce.
The one thing I love about the onset of winter (its still not really cold here yet) is the slow cooker comes out :) this looks delicious! Thanks for sharing! Liz x
I can’t wait to put it to good use this year Liz!
This is the first I’ve heard of crockpot lasagna…. This I have to try!
Well I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t made it!