Packed with vegetables and creamy cheese, this easy Crock Pot Vegetable Lasagna is a crowd-pleaser. Choose your favorite combination of vegetables and make this in your slow cooker today.
The perfect tender pasta coated in marinara sauce and loaded with richly slow roasted vegetables and cheese creates the perfect meal. Definitely a Healthy Crock Pot recipe!
That is exactly why this vegetable lasagna has become the star of the show many evenings in our home. With the richness of the sauce and the cheesy goodness expected, nobody misses the traditional meat sauce of a typical lasagna.
For our version, spinach, peppers, onions, and zucchini are the perfect vegetables as a base. You can pick your own combination, or follow ours to create a perfect lasagna that is healthier while still being delicious.
If you’re just getting to know your Slow Cooker, make sure to check out these important Crock Pot Tips and Tricks.
What Are the Best Vegetables for This Crock Pot Vegetable Lasagna?
Since you’re replacing a meat sauce with vegetables, you want something that will offer a level of richness to replace the meat. We almost always choose the combination of spinach, zucchini, bell peppers, and onions. You can pick whatever combination you prefer. Some yummy combinations are listed below.
Mushrooms, onions, and spinach
Zucchini, yellow squash, red onion, and kale
Shredded carrots, cabbage, and onions
Broccoli, mushrooms, and red onion
Should I Use Ricotta or Cottage Cheese?
We make this vegetable lasagna with both ricotta and cottage cheese and honestly cannot tell a difference in the flavor. I find that cottage cheese has a different texture and may not be preferred by kids, so if you will be serving your children, ricotta is smoother and may be a better choice.
You could also use a mix of the two kinds of cheese to add more texture to your vegetables and cheese mixture.
Can I Make This a Vegan Crock Pot Lasagna?
Yes! While it takes a bit of work to find the right vegan substitutions, you can definitely turn this into a vegan lasagna recipe with great success.
Use vegan ricotta or soft tofu in place of the ricotta and cottage cheese
Top with vegan cheese shreds. I prefer Daiya or Trader Joe’s vegan options.
Sprinkle the top with nutritional yeast for that nuttiness you expect from Parmesan.
Can This Crock Pot Lasagna Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes! If you know you will be busy the morning you want to make this lasagna, just assemble and refrigerate until time to cook.
You can make this recipe up to 24 hours ahead of time. Assemble the lasagna, cover tightly and refrigerate in the slow cooker insert. You will need to let the crock warm up a bit before putting it in the crockpot to cook. Cook time will take longer; cook until heated through in the center.
Can You Freeze Crock Pot Lasagna?
If you want to freeze this recipe, we recommend cooking it, letting it cool, and then freezing it.
To reheat from the freezer, either leave the lasagna the refrigerator overnight and then cook it in the microwave until heated through. Alternatively, you can place it in an oven-safe dish and heat it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes if thawed.
How to Make Crock Pot Vegetable Lasagna
Follow these step-by-step instructions and you’ll have the best lasagna your family will rave about!
Step 1 – Prep
Gather your ingredients and spray or line your Crock Pot to prevent the noodles and cheese from sticking. Place a 1/2 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of the crock.
Step 2 – Mix ingredients
Next, in a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper if using.
cheese mixture
Then, you will mix together your cheese mixture with your vegetables in the large bowl.
veggie, cheese and spice mixture
Tip: For the vegetables, small dices or shreds work best for this recipe.
Step 3 – Layer
Once you have the vegetable cheese mixture ready, you will begin making your layers in the slow cooker. You will be making three layers, so divide your ingredients accordingly as you begin building your lasagna.
Start with a bit of marinara sauce on the bottom of the pot, then top that with noodles, the veggie cheese mixture, and shredded cheese.
first layer of noodlesvegetable and cheese layercheese layer
You will repeat this process ending with a layer of noodles. You will pour the last bit of sauce on the noodles, and top with the last of your shredded cheese and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
sauce layer
Cover the lasagna and set to cook as directed.
Note: Let the lasagna cool down for around an hour before cutting to serve. Otherwise, it will be too moist and will not cut well for serving.
Tips for Making the Best Crock Pot Lasagna
The noodles in the bottom of the crockpot will look a little awkward as you lay them in, but this is no big deal. They will cook just fine.
Many different vegetable combinations work in this lasagna including sliced mushrooms, yellow squash, red onion, grated or chopped carrots or green bell pepper, pick your favorite.
IMPORTANT: Make sure you let the cooked lasagna sit for at least an hour or it will have too much moisture and be very soupy.
If you try this Crock Pot Vegetable Lasagna or any other recipe on Suburban Simplicity, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let us know how it went in the comments below, we love hearing from you! Better yet, use the hashtag #suburbansimplicity if you make the recipe.
24ouncespart-skim ricotta cheese OR cottage cheese
3-4cupschopped vegetables of choice(we used spinach, zucchini, red peppers, and onion)
1teaspoongarlic powder
1/4teaspooncrushed red pepper(if desired)
2cupsshredded Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
Parmesan cheese for topping
fresh parsley for topping(optional)
Instructions
Spray a 5-6 quart crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of the crock.
In a large bowl, mix vegetables, ricotta cheese, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper if using.
Break 3 noodles to fit and cover the bottom of the crock pot. Cover with about one-third of the ricotta and veggie mixture. Then, top with 1/3 of the Mozzarella cheese and 1/3 of remaining sauce. Repeat the layers two more times (for a total of three times). End with noodles on top, covered with a thin layer of sauce and a little bit more shredded mozzarella 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 soak into the noodles.
Notes
The noodles in the bottom of the crock pot will look a little awkward, but this is no big deal. They will cook just fine.
IMPORTANT: Make sure you let the cooked lasagna sit for at least an hour or it will have too much moisture and be very soupy.
Other vegetables that are good in this recipe are sliced mushrooms, yellow squash, red onion, grated or chopped carrots or green bell pepper.
Nutritional information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Since its founding in 2015 by suburban mother Erin Henry, Suburban Simplicity has provided an outlet for like-minded women to connect and share their methods for a serene and simple home life. It has become a trusted resource for advice on simple, modern homemaking, appearing on Oprah Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Buzzfeed, MSN and Yummly.
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