Slow Cooker Lasagna

By MaryEllen

Great meal for a busy day. Consider adding suasage and/or mushrooms.

Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 271.4

Total Fat: 10.2 g
Cholesterol: 56.5 mg
Sodium: 284.4 mg
Total Carbs: 18.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 1.6 g
Protein: 24.9 g

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef, 96% lean
• 1 ⁄4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• One 24-ounce jar low-sodium marinara
• sauce
• One 3⁄4-pound eggplant, unpeeled, diced
• (2 cups)
• 15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded Italian five-cheese blend
• (see Note)
• 1 ⁄4 cup egg substitute (or 1 egg white)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 6 lasagna noodles

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a skillet over moderate heat, brown the
ground beef and drain any excess fat. Stir in red
pepper flakes, thyme, tomato sauce, eggplant,
and 1 1⁄4 cup water. (reduce amount if using mushrooms, as they will release a lot of moisture.)

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, shredded
cheese blend, egg substitute, and parsley.

3. Coat the inside of the slow cooker with nonstick
cooking spray. Place enough meat sauce
in the slow cooker to cover the bottom. Top
with 2 or 3 lasagna noodles (break them up as
needed) to cover the meat sauce. Repeat layer.

4. Top the second layer with all of the cheese
mixture and finish with a top layer of the remaining
meat sauce.

5. Cover and set the slow cooker on low. Cook
for 3 1⁄2 to 4 hours.
**Please note that the cooking time should not exceed 4 hours. This is not an all day slow-cooker meal.**
Note: If you can't find the Italian five-cheese
blend, shredded part-skim mozzarella will work
just fine.

Makes 8 servings; roughly one cup