Slow Cooker Meat & Cheese Lasagna

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

1 onion, small diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 pounds (900 grams) lean ground beef

1 tablespoon (15 ml) dried basil

1 tablespoon (15 ml) dried oregano

2 24-ounce (700 ml) good-quality Italian pasta sauce

2/3 cup water

12 - 16 uncooked lasagna noodles

3 cups (750 ml) ricotta cheese

2 cups (500 ml) mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 cup (125 ml) Parmesan cheese, shredded

2 teaspoons salt

Pepper, to taste

 

Heat the oil in a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, just until soft. Add the ground beef with salt and pepper and cook for 8 minutes or until the ground beef is no longer pink. Add the dried basil and oregano. Mix well and set aside.

Mix water and pasta sauce together in a bowl, then spread a 1/3 of it on the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Add a double layer of noodles, breaking to fit if necessary. Over the noodles, spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese and 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese. Add 1/3 of the meat mixture. Repeat layers with sauce and noodles, then cheese and meat. End the layers with noodles and sauce topped with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle Parmesan on top.

Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 2 hours on high, or until noodles are tender.

When lasagna has finished cooking, turn the slow cooker off but keep the lid on. Let lasagna rest for 15 minutes. This will make it easier to cut into nice squares.