Slow-cooked Lasagna for ideal weekend dinner

Let your slow cooker do the work and come home to this heartwarming meal. Swap in other greens or cooked vegetables to change things up.

Prep time 20 min | Cook time 360 min | Servings 8

Ingredients

• 227 g (8 oz) extra lean ground beef
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 mL (2 tsp) dried oregano
• 1 mL (¼ tsp) hot pepper flakes
• 1 jar (700 mL) tomato passata
• 250 mL (1 cup) water
• 10 whole grain lasagna noodles
• 1 tub (475 g) light ricotta cheese
• 1 container (142 g/5 oz) baby spinach, washed, chopped
• 60 mL (¼ cup) chopped fresh basil or parsley
• 30 mL (2 tbsp) grated Parmesan cheese
• 125 mL (½ cup) shredded part skim mozzarella

Directions

1. Lightly spray inside of slow cooker with cooking spray.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, brown beef breaking up with spoon. Scrape out beef into a colander and let drain. Wipe out skillet and return to medium heat; cook beef, onion, garlic, oregano and hot pepper flakes for 5 minutes or until softened. Add passata and water and remove from heat.
3. In a bowl, stir together ricotta cheese, spinach, basil and Parmesan cheese.
4. Spread some of the meat sauce over bottom of slow cooker. Lay lasagna noodles in a single layer, breaking as necessary to fit. Top with one quarter of the sauce and one third of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice ending with meat sauce on top. Cover and cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or on High for 3 to 4 hours. About 15 minutes before serving lasagna, sprinkle mozzarella over top, cover and let cook on Low until melted.

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