Slow cooker lasagne

Serves:

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium brown onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1kg minced beef
• 2 x 140g tubs tomato paste
• 1 bottle (700g) passata (tomato cooking sauce)
• 2 x 400g tins diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Italian dried herbs
• 700ml water
• 1 tub (250g) low-fat cottage cheese
• 250g grated parmesan cheese
• 250g grated mozzarella cheese + 100g mozzarella for the top layer
• 1 pkt (250g) large instant lasagne sheets

Method

In a frying pan, heat the oil and add the onions and garlic. Fry until the onions are translucent and then add the mince. Brown the mince and add the tomato paste, cooking for 2 minutes. Add the passata, tomatoes, herbs and water, and stir to mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the three cheeses together.

Spoon a few tablespoons of the meat sauce over the base of your slow cooker. Layer lasagne sheets over the sauce and then crumble one quarter of the cheese mix over the sheets. Repeat layering – sauce, lasagne sheets, cheese – and end with a layer of meat sauce.

Cook in the slow cooker on low for 4-6 hours. Twenty minutes before cooking is complete, sprinkle over additional mozzarella cheese and replace lid. Serve with salad and garlic bread.

Serving Suggestions

Note

• You may need to break the lasagne sheets up to fit them into your slow cooker. I have a rectangular cooker with rounded edges so I just broke off some corners.
• I like to also sprinkle nutmeg on the cheese mixture for a hint of bechamel flavour.
• Don’t worry if you think the sauce seems really thin – the lasagne sheets soak up a lot of sauce.
• If you don’t have time (or patience!) to wait for this slow cooked lasagne, whip up this speedy lasagne in a hurry in a frying pan instead. It has all the same delicious flavours without needing to be baked or slow cooked.
• For a lasagne made the traditional way, check out this classic lasagne recipe.
• Give everyone’s favourite dinner a twist by making chicken lasagne instead of beef. It’s easy, kids love it and you can also sneak some vegetables into the sauce.
• If you are cooking for vegetarians, or just taking part in Meat Free Mondays, this vegetarian lasagne is simply delicious and fans of roasted pumpkin garlic and ricotta lasagne say it’s even nicer than the traditional meat one!
• Did you know you can cook lasagne in your dishwasher?! We didn’t believe it either so we tested this recipe. Turns out it’s actually very nice! Here’s how you can do it too.
• If you want a lighter cheese sauce, this recipe for lamb and ricotta lasagne is a deviation from the traditional Italian lasagne and uses ricotta rather than bechamel sauce.
• Cute! These individual-sized lasagnes are perfect for kids.
• Use up leftover sausages by making sausage and spinach lasagne 
• This recipe was created by Jennifer Cheung for Kidspot.