Slow Cooker Squash Lasagna
Monday, 24 October 2011
I mentioned a few weeks ago that Crock Pot invited me to create a video for their Crock-Star Confessions. My video will be up on the Crock Pot Facebook page this Saturday, October 29. Today I’m giving you guys a sneak peak of the recipe from my video, but be sure to check out the page on Saturday because you can enter to win a slow cooker or $2500 in cash!
I’ve made a lot of interesting and crazy things in my slow cooker (like pumpkin bread, play dough, roasted nuts, etc.) but I chose to highlight lasagna in my “confession” because when I posted a slow cooker spinach lasagna, people were so surprised. It is a surprising thing to make in a slow cooker. Even better, you don’t have to boil the noodles – you just layer everything, turn it on and come back in a few hours to a fantastic dinner.
This lasagna recipe has a seasonal and healthy twist, using squash, whole wheat noodles and a relatively small amount of mozzarella. For more traditional lasagna, replace squash and sage mixture with a 25 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce.
Recipe:
Slow Cooker Squash Lasagna
This lasagna recipe has a seasonal and healthy twist, using squash, whole wheat noodles and a relatively small amount of mozzarella. For more traditional lasagna, replace squash and sage mixture with a 25 oz. jar of your favorite pasta sauce. See my recipe for slow cooker spinach lasagna for more info.
Makes 4-6 servings
- 1 package of regular whole wheat lasagna noodles (I’ve used the “no boil” kind in the slow cooker too and both that and regular noodles work, so use whatever you have on hand)
- 2 10-oz. packages of frozen pureed squash or 2 cups of fresh pureed squash*
- ½ teaspoon of dried rubbed sage
- 1 15-oz. container of part skim ricotta cheese
- ½ cup of milk
- ¼ cup of parmesan, grated
- ¼ – ½ cup of part skim mozzarella, shredded
- A few handfuls of spinach (optional)
Directions
In a bowl, combine squash with sage. Add salt and pepper to taste. In another bowl, combine ricotta with milk and parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Coat the inside of a 5-6 quart slow cooker with non-stick spray. Place a layer of noodles at the bottom (you will have to break them to make them fit – don’t worry about using little pieces to fill in crevices, it will come out just fine). Cover with half of the squash mixture, spreading it evenly. Place another layer of noodles on top, then a layer of spinach and half of the ricotta mixture. Repeat layers, ending with ricotta. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours (until noodles are tender).
* To use fresh squash, cut in half, remove seeds and roast in a 400°F oven for around 45 minutes or until soft. Let cool, then scoop out flesh and puree in blender or food processor.
No. 1 — October 24th, 2011 at 11:43 am
Mmmmm! I’ve never heard of squash lasagna before but it sounds soooo good!
No. 2 — October 25th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
This lasagna looks and sounds amazing… even better that it is cooked in the crockpot!
No. 3 — October 25th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Oh man this looks so good. Such a cool and unique twist on lasagna. Really loving this one.
No. 4 — October 25th, 2011 at 7:52 pm
You are totally the crockpot queen! This looks amazing I cant wait to see your video.
No. 5 — October 25th, 2011 at 10:19 pm
new idea… never thought of squash in a lasagna… sounds great though
No. 6 — October 26th, 2011 at 2:35 am
The most unique I can go with lasagna is my eggplant lasagna…I never knew you guys could come up with more exquisite and nutritious versions such as Squash Lasagna. I am sure this is gonna be great. I am keeping in touch
No. 7 — October 26th, 2011 at 6:14 am
This is quite an amazing recipe. Have you ever done it with tomato sauce as well? What kind of squash did you use?
No. 8 — October 26th, 2011 at 7:18 am
@Carol – I added a note to the recipe. Here is my recipe for regular slow cooker lasagna. I used a frozen package of winter squash. Use your favorite squash – butternut, acorn, etc. I think they’d all taste good.
No. 9 — October 26th, 2011 at 11:03 am
Do you pre cook the noodles first (I am assuming you do) otherwise, there is not enough liquid? Just thinking..:-)
Sounds like a slimming world recipe…:D VERY TASTY IM sure
No. 10 — October 26th, 2011 at 12:31 pm
This sounds really good. However I wish that you would have included the Nutrition Information. Being Diabetic this is very importatnt to me. Thank You
No. 11 — October 26th, 2011 at 1:45 pm
@Rosa – no, actually you don’t pre-cook the noodles. That’s part of the charm and easiness of this recipe. The slow cooker cooks it just fine with no additional liquid (probably because it basically steams everything).
No. 12 — October 26th, 2011 at 1:46 pm
@Mary Lou – I don’t have the nutritional information for my recipes but I believe there are sites where you can figure this out easily by imputing the ingredients.
No. 13 — October 29th, 2011 at 10:26 am
Stephanie,
I favorited this page about a week ago & finally had time today to make this! It’s in my crock pot for dinner right now, and I can’t wait to taste it. It was a really simple recipe. I’m planning to try your granola one soon too. Keep em’ coming! These are perfect for a college student on a budget with no time…who still likes to eat healthfully.
Peace & Love,
Abby
No. 14 — October 29th, 2011 at 10:41 am
@Abby Mae – that’s great, I hope you enjoy the lasagna!
No. 15 — October 30th, 2011 at 5:31 am
I have got to jump on board with slow cooker lasagna this year. I pretty much have a shrine set up for my slow cooker anyway so its bout time I took on this challenge. I checked their facebook page and you were right at the top! Way to go
No. 16 — October 30th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Hi Stephanie,
Love the idea of making lasagna in the crockpot!!! I’ve read through the comments and just want to make sure I’m clear on the noodles. Do you use “no boiling required” pasta or do you use regular pasta? I’d love to try this dish and have some friends over! BTW, I love your blog!
No. 17 — October 30th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
@Karla – I’ve tried it with both kinds of noodles (including regular whole wheat noodles) and it works either way. Use whatever you have on hand. Enjoy!
No. 18 — January 18th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
this looks very delicious . i`m sure my wife will love it as i plan to make that for the weekend dinner. thanks
No. 19 — January 27th, 2012 at 2:03 am
This lasagne dish looks absolutely stunning! I will be trying this recipe out this weekend as my husband wants me to use a different lasagne recipe. Thanks again!
No. 20 — October 24th, 2012 at 10:26 am
Can I add tomato sauce to this or will it be too moist? Also, I usually use a mozzarella and egg mix in place of ricotta. Should I still use the milk?
No. 21 — October 26th, 2012 at 12:50 pm
@Rona – you can replace the squash mixture with tomato sauce – click here for my recipe for traditional lasagna in a slow cooker. If you want to use both, I’d halve the squash recipe and use less tomato sauce than normal. If you usually use mozzarella and egg instead of ricotta, I would stick with it and not use milk.
No. 22 — January 14th, 2013 at 9:25 am
[...] 53. Squash Lasagna This nontraditional lasagna gets a healthy kick from whole-wheat noodles, part-skim ricotta and mozzarella cheese, puréed squash, and spinach. [...]
No. 23 — January 28th, 2013 at 9:03 am
[...] Squash Lasagna This nontraditional lasagna gets a healthy kick from whole-wheat noodles, part-skim ricotta and [...]