SLOW-COOKER SAUSAGE LASAGNA

Slow-Cooker Sausage Lasagna image

On especially cold winter days, my family loves this with mild Italian sausage. I agree about the cold days, but I prefer a spicy sausage blend, which gives it a bit of a zing. -Cindi DeClue, Anchorage, Alaska

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Dinner

Time 4h40m

Yield 8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jar (24 ounces) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in sauce, undrained
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 carton (15 ounces) whole-milk ricotta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Minced fresh basil, optional

Steps:

Line sides of an oval 6-qt. slow cooker with heavy-duty foil; coat foil with cooking spray. In a Dutch oven, cook beef, sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking up beef and sausage into crumbles; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, water and herbs; heat through., In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese, eggs and Parmesan cheese. Spread 1-1/2 cups meat sauce onto bottom of prepared slow cooker. Layer with 3 noodles (breaking to fit), 3/4 cup ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 cups meat sauce. Repeat layers twice. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese., Cook, covered, on low 3-1/2 to 4 hours or until noodles are tender. Turn off slow cooker; remove insert. Let stand 15 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with fresh basil.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 667 calories, Fat 37g fat (17g saturated fat), Cholesterol 164mg cholesterol, Sodium 1310mg sodium, Carbohydrate 41g carbohydrate (14g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 42g protein.