This skinny Veggie Crockpot Lasagna? Packed with good-for-you veggies, super easy to make, and made with a handful of simple ingredients.
Yesterday I saw the movie Frozen.
This is going to really date this post for future readers, but worth it. Because I have to talk about how cute it was.
If you’re not familiar, Frozen is a Disney movie, um excuse me, musical. A Disney musical. All about an icy land where everything is a little bit magical and a lot bit frozen and where people have names like Hans and Kristoff and Olaf. So basically it was the story of my Scandinavian-rooted freezing cold Minnesota life. And for the record, I do get a little bit cold but I sure love it here.
I told Bjork that he reminded me of the main character Kristoff and he just rolled his eyes. But really, you guys. If you see it, you’ll basically be watching an animated version of what Bjork would be like had he chosen to be a mountain man who cuts ice instead a city man who works on computers.
He’s just a reeeal niiice Scandinavian boy, oh ya you betcha.
HOW TO MAKE OUR VEGGIE LASAGNA (40 SEC):
AND THIS: the movie theater now has recliners. Literally scushy red leather chairs with a button that lifts your feet up and allows you to recline to an almost completely horizontal position. It was both dangerous (sleepy much?) and wonderful. There were at least twenty minutes where we kept pressing the buttons up and down and laughing hysterically because we are five years old. You’re thinking: oh, I know who you are now. You’re those people.
While we were at this movie, I left a little lasagna cookin’ in the crockpot.
Spoiler alert: this veggie crockpot lasagna wasn’t super pretty. More like just a whole bunch of broken noodles and vegetables, sauce, and cheese layered in like thick blankets on top of one another, which is really the only option when you live in the frozen land. It doesn’t even matter, though, because in the end they all sort of just soak together to make layers that hold everything delicious together in one yummy meal.
I chose kale for my veg because a) I kind of like cooked kale, and b) it’s healthy, and c) it was the only vegetable I had in the fridge. That toffee is just taking up too much space, ya know?
So a few hours after I haphazardly threw those ingredients in the crockpot and enjoyed the loveliness of a Disney musical, I got to eat this.
And I felt like I was repaying myself for all that Christmas sugar.
Layers of veggies, sauce, cheese, and thick wavy noodles. I like.
Last note of the day: those pictures were what the lasagna looked like hot outta the pot.
And THIS is what the lasagna looked like after resting for 2-3 hours. I could just slice right through it with a knife and scoop it up like regular lasagna. Healthy lunch for the week – check.
This skinny Veggie Crockpot Lasagna is packed with good-for-you veggies and super easy to make. Just put it in the crockpot and you’ve got dinner!
- 2 24-ounce jars or cans of Italian tomato sauce (see notes)
- 9 thick lasagna noodles with wavy edges (mine were called bronze cut)
- 24 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese OR cottage cheese
- 3–4 cups chopped vegetables of choice (I used kale)
- Pesto (to taste)
- 2 cups shredded Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
- Parmesan cheese for topping
- fresh parsley for topping
- Spray the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce to the bottom so the noodles don’t stick.
- Break noodles so that they fit and mostly cover the bottom. They will probably be awkward looking – not a big deal. Cover with about one third of the ricotta, veggies, pesto, sauce, cheese, and end with noodles. Repeat layers two more times for a total of three complete layers. End with a layer of noodles on top, covered with a thin layer of sauce and a little bit more shredded cheese.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Turn the crockpot off completely and let the lasagna sit for at least one hour. This allows all the moisture to get soaked into the lasagna, and if you don’t do this it will probably be more like lasagna soup – still good, but not pretty. Depending on how long you let it sit, you can either scoop pieces out or just cut with a knife like normal lasagna.
I didn’t use ALL the sauce in both jars – I probably used a total of 36 ounces (about one and a half jars), and it was really saucy.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: crockpot lasagna, healthy lasagna, veggie lasagna, lightened lasagna
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our all-star slow cooker recipes page. Check it out!