October 14, 2011

Crock-pot Lasagna

Crock-pots are amazing! It's so nice to prep for a meal in the morning and it be ready to enjoy when you get home after work. Making lasagna in the crock-pot is so convenient and it makes a ton. You can have it for multiple days or you can freeze the leftovers. Have you ever made lasagna in your crock-pot before? What's your favorite crock-pot recipe?


Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
29 oz can tomato sauce
8 oz pkg. lasagna noodles, uncooked
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

Directions
1.) Spray the inside of the crock-pot with cooking spray                       
2.) Brown the ground beef
3.) Stir the tomato sauce in with the ground beef
4.) Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the crock-pot
5.) Arrange 1/3 of the uncooked noodles over the sauce (I usually break them up so they fit better)
6.) Combine the cheeses in a bowl. Spoon 1/3 of the cheeses over the noodles.
7.) Repeat these layers twice
8.) Top with remaining sauce
9.) Cover and cook on low for 4hrs (I've started the crock-pot on high in the morning while I get ready for work and then put it on warm before I leave and it's perfect when I get home)
10.) Let the lasagna stand in the crock-pot with the lid off for at least 10 minutes 

* Variations
Add chopped onion and garlic to the ground beef in step 2

Use Italian sausage in place of ground beef or with ground beef

Add 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese to the cheese mixture. Replace cottage cheese with Ricotta.

Add 1/2 cup additional shredded mozzarella cheese to the top of lasagna 5 minutes before serving


256 comments:

  1. This looks so easy. I'll have to try it :) Thanks for posting; I'm always looking for crock pot recipes.

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  2. One quick question, though: Do you use "oven ready lasagna noodles", or just the regular uncooked kind?

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  3. The regular noodles work great! I guess all the steam that's formed cooks them perfectly.

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  4. Awesome! I am always looking for new recipes to try in my crock-pot. This will be the next one!

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  5. What a great recipe! Is this recipe for a larger crock pot? I have a smaller (I believe 4 qt) crock pot, and I'm worried there'll be left over ingredients. Thanks!

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  6. *Edit - it's actually a 2 qt crock-pot. REAL small :)

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  7. Yes I used a 5 qt crock pot. I would see what you could squeeze into your crock pot, I actually had some room left over in mine. If you have left over sauce you could always freeze it and use it for spaghetti or another dish later. I hope you have yummy results!

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  8. You said you start it on high and then leave it on warm all day. How long do you leave it on high and how long is it on warm? I'm gone from the house for up to 12 hours and wonder if this method would work.

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  9. Well every environment and crock pot is different. The only thing I can say is get to know your stuff and how it works. I've actually left it on warm for up to 12 hours before and it's turned out great. I've done this for other crock pot recipes too and then I check it right when I get home and will turn it back on high again if I feel like it needs more cooking. Usually these recipes have enough of a liquid ingredient to create steam that gets trapped inside. It's always better to have something undercooked then overcooked so when I know I'll be gone for a long time I just leave my crock pot on warm. Especially in this case the meat is already cooked so you don't have to worry about that. I hope I helped and you have great success!

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  10. I have had this we had a luncheon at work and this was soooooo good. I was even thinking about making tonight. I didn't but now I really wish I had,

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  11. This looks so yummy! I found your blog via Pinterest & I featured your Crockppot Lasagna pin on my blog as one of my favorites from last week: http://www.pinfluence.com/2011/11/12/saturday-stumbles-11-12-11/

    I'm making it for my family this week, I will come back to tell you how it was! :)

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  12. Leave it to me to totally mess this easy recipe up! Your recipe was so easy to follow & it looks like yours turned out delicious...I think I cooked mine too high for too long. :( I recounted the {hopefully hilarious} adventure here: http://www.pinfluence.com/2011/11/17/crockpot-lasagna/

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  13. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. I hope you won't give up on the Crock-Pot! I would love to hear how others turned out, anybody have a good story to share? Hopefully a successful one...

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  14. I have a question. Did you use actual tomato sauce like from the canned tomato section, or canned spaghetti sauce?

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  15. I used canned tomato sauce. If you use spaghetti sauce you might want to add a little water to thin it out. Good luck!

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  16. I am confused.. Lol. So If I leave for work at 7:30 am and don't get home until 5:45, Can I cook it on low all day ?

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  17. Katrina I'm sorry you're confused. I always like to think of a recipe as a guide. With crock-pots especially the results tend to be different for everyone. Heather for example unfortunately didn't have good results and may have overcooked hers. The original recipe I have says to cook the dish on low for 4 hours so that would probably produce the best and most consistent results. For me personally I like to prepare things ahead and let it cook all day while I'm at work. So with just about every crock-pot recipe I use I'll leave it on WARM the entire day not on low. I would rather get home and find something undercooked then overcooked and my crock-pot gets hot enough on warm. Sometimes I'll get it going in the morning on high for only about 30 minutes or so. This works for me, but you might have to experiment a little and see what works for you. I hope that helps.

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  18. This recipe is fabulous! My son told me it tastes like his Mimi's, the ultimate compliment. Will definitely make again.
    Jane

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  19. Would it work to use ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese?

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  20. I just want to let you know that this is FABULOUS! I have never had a good experience cooking any type of lasagna, but this came out perfect! Thank you for sharing!

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  21. I made this yesterday and it turned out so good! I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was so delicious. I have found another recipe my fiance loves!

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  22. This turned out great! I used spaghetti sauce, turned it on High for only about 15 mins, then left it on warm for 10 hours. When I got home I sprinkled a mixture of mozzarella, romano, and parmesan, put the lid back on and turned it on high for about 20 mins.

    Definitely going to bookmark this one! Thanks!

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  23. Oh, and I used a mixture of italian sausage and ground turkey to make it a bit leaner. Next time I may just go all turkey instead.

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  24. Wasn't sure if i would get this question answered in time...lol but i am making this lasagna and my crock pot has 4 settings 4hr and 6hr is high and then 8hr or 10 hr is low. I am not sure which one i should put it on????

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  25. I would try 8 or 10 because you don't want to overcook it. I hope you have great success!

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  26. This looks delish! I love lasagna and have been looking for crock pot recipes. Thanks for sharing!

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  27. So is it two layers or three layers?

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  28. The recipe calls for three layers. I kept adding layers until I ran out of ingredients. Hope that helps!

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  29. I found this on Pinterest. I'm gonna make it tonight. : D Can't wait to try it!

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  30. There are a lot of variables to consider when making this recipe - the thickness of your sauce, the quality of your noodles, how your crockpot functions. I added water to my sauce to thin it out, and only had to cook the lasagna for about 2 1/2 hours on low. So, you may need to make adjustments to get this recipe to turn out, but it is worth it!

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  31. A trick I learned years ago with crock pot cooking is to cover the top of the crock (down to just above the food level) with aluminum foil. This holds in the heat and the moisture.

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  32. I made this for the first time tonight and YUMMY! Even if I overdid the garlic and onion in the meat sauce, lol...finally, a dish my extremely picky son wolfed down! Thanks so much!

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  33. This looks so amazing. I'm wondering if this would turn out using gluten free lasagna noodles. I will have to try.

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  34. I've never cooked with gluten free noodles before. Please let me know how it turns out!

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    1. I have made this with gluten free noodles and they turned out fine.

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  35. I'm so excited to make this! Thanks! Can you tell me about how many can be fed with this recipe? Thanks!

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  36. I made this for dinner tonight. Saw it in Pinterest. It turned out really good but the bottom of the lasagna was burnt from the crockpot. I had it set to 4 hours on low and then it switched to warm. It was on warm the rest of the day while we were at work, for like 5 hours! I guess I can only cook longer cook time recipes whhile at work.

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  37. Made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS!!! This was my first time making lasagna. For some reason I always thought lasagna was too much work, but with this recipe it's so very simple! Thank you for providing us with a way to make it in the crockpot. I turned my crock pot on low while I was browning the meat and preparing everything (to get it preheated). Cooked it in low for 3hrs 50 minutes, and then let it sit on warm for about 45 minutes while I made garlic bread. It was PERFECT! Possibly the best lasagna I've ever had. My husband and I scarfed it down, lol. This will be a regular in our home =)
    Thank you,
    Lesa

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  38. Saw this on Pinterest and it looks great! One idea -- if not using Italian sausage or spaghetti sauce, add 1-2 tsp each (or only one, don't have to use both) dried oregano and dried basil to the meat sauce. Could also add garlic powder or garlic salt, 1/4 - 1/2 tsp to taste. That way your sauce is nicely seasoned.

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  39. So simple that my kids made it for dinner today. It isn't quite ready yet, but it looks like it will be right on schedule, and it smells delicious. They used jarred sauce and no meat, since they aren't allowed to cook on the gas range. They are becoming quite the little crock pot gurus. Thanks again, who knew you could do this with uncooked past? :)

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  40. I used the pre cooked noodles and it came out great! just keep an eye on it bc i think i only kept it in for like 3 hours

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  41. My family doesn't like Ricotta or cottage cheese, can I just mozzarella cheese?

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  42. SAW YOUR RECIPE ON PINTEREST. USED SEVERAL LAYERS, PUT THE FOIL ON LIKE ONE READER SAID. USED ITALIAN SAUSAGE, THINNED THE SAUCE A LITTLE BECAUSE OF ALL OF MY LAYERS. CAME OUT PERFECT. THANKS FOR SUCH A GREAT "KEEPER" OF A RECIPE. WILL BE MAKING THIS AGAIN. WITH 4 TEENAGE SONS=NO LEFT OVERS. TFS.

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  43. To the family who doesn't like Ricotta or Cottage cheese, have you had lasagna before? Most lasagna will have that kind of cheese and it tastes different when cooked in the dish. You might want to try and see what you think. This kind of cheese will add a little extra moisture to this dish which is important for crock-pot lasagna so I'm afriad if you just use mozzerella it won't work as well. I would also imagine it would be very stringy and maybe difficult to eat. You might could try a cream cheese mixture instead. I'm just not sure though since I've never tried it myself. Please share if you decide to experiement and come up with a great solution!

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    1. We don't like Ricotta or Cottage Cheese either, so I've always subsituted it for Cream Cheese and it's SO good!

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    2. use a mixture of ricotta,garlic, basil, parmesan, mozzarella, a egg, maybe spinach? if you mix all these things in the ricotta cheese it will change the consistency and it will add to the flavor. now because you don't then have the moisture of cottage cheese, just add a little water to the sauce, it will still work the same. something else people can add is a layor of pepperoni? or spinach, or eggplant? some people put a layor of ham? a layor of fresh basil? peppers(cooked)? be creative, have fun! I make amazing lasagna and I have added all these things in the past?

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  44. I have never made this before, and I do not use my crock pot much. How do you tell when it is done?

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  45. I would follow the recipes directions and cook the lasagna on low for 4 hrs. If all goes well you should smell a delicious aroma and be able to see through the lid that the noodles have softened. It's really important that you don't open the lid to check on the food too early because the steam will escape. Once you get more comfortable cooking with the crock-pot you can try altering the recipes more. I hope you try it and you have a yummy success!

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  46. I wasn't really thinking about the size of my crock pot..but it must be larger than the one you use for your receipe, because I ran out of ingredience!! I even used 2 lbs of hamburger! Next time I am using 3 lbs of meat and more sauce. Our family enjoys left overs and I like to share with others. This will make for a great lunch for the week day. Thanks for sharing.

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  47. Well I have this in my crock pot now. Was late getting it started so I have it on high. Will do high for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours then turn to low. Otherwise we will be eating at midnight.HA Can't wait to taste it.

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  48. I made this the other night & it was great. I didn't quite have enough mozzarella cheese at first, so I just used my 2 cups of mozzarella and added an extra half cup of cottage cheese. I cooked on high for 40 min. then on low for 4 hours.

    When my husband came home, he brought another bag of mozzarella cheese and we covered the top with it 5 min. before eating. Super cheesy and super delicious. The leftovers are already gone.

    Thanks for the recipe!

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  49. It's in my crockpot now! I must have a bigger one too, because I could have used a ton more sauce. Next time, I will double the meat and use 2 cans of sauce. I also seasoned my tomato sauce with some garlic salt, onion powder, and Italian seasoning. Can't wait to try it because my sauce tastes delicious! Hahaha

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  50. I made this for dinner tonight. YUMMY! Even my 11 year old son loved it. I added a layer of fresh spinach leaves on top of the cheese layer and it was amazing...if I must say so myself. Added color and vitamins to an already yummy meal.

    Nadine in Nevada

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  51. Love the addition of spinach, great idea Nadine!

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  52. This sounds great but unfortunately you need to worry about being in the danger zone(35-135) and the germs multiplying rapidly if you cook on warm for any length of time.

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    1. Thanks for the information. Warm is just a setting not a temperature. Every Crock-pot is different and mine seems to cook at a higher temperature. From experimenting with other recipes I found that if I put it on low for long periods of time my food would burn :(

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  53. Has anypone ever just cooked it on high alone? Got all the ingrediants in at 3:30 and the crock pot was turned on High about 20 mins before that so it was hot when ingred. was added. We have people coming over tonight and I didn't want to eat at 7:30 or 8. Thinking about cooking it on high for about 1 hr and then turning on low for 2.5 hrs?? Anyone tried like this?

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. I'm afraid cooking it on just high alone would burn the edges but I've never tried it. How did it turn out?

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    3. haha you and me both! It's 3pm here and I just put the lid on my crock to start cooking on high (warmed it up first too). My plan is to cook on HIGH for 1h and then LOW for 2h... Sorry I'm not more help, but we'll just have to compare notes! ;-)

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    4. I am trying this tonight as well so I'm going to try high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours and then check it and if it needs a littel more cooking set it on low. Hopefully it doesn't burn but I've been keeping an eye on it so we will see!

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    5. So I did a little more than an hour on high and then switched it to low for another hour and it didn't burn at all, it turned out GREAT. But I know everyone's slow cookers are going to be a bit different. Also, I did use a slow cooker liner and clean up was a sinch!

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  54. I just made this,,and I must say I will not make lasagna any other way now!!..Being Italian I made my own sauce that I used in it..and of course ricotta cheese,,just make sure to use plenty of sauce..I preheated the crockpot first before assembling and started cooking it on high for 1 hour then 4 hours on low,,I added the top layer of mozzerella at the end and replaced the lid and it melted just fine..I haven't made lasagna in a long time because in the past it always came out dry,,but the crockpot version solved that!!,,I even made another one with gluten free noodles and it cam e out perfect also!,,Natalie from MI

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    1. Thanks for sharing your success! I'm glad to know gluten free noodles work well.

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  55. has anyone tried the crock pot liners with this to help with the mess after the lasagna induced food coma? =)

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    1. I've never even heard of a crock-pot liner before! I have heard of people using foil though, is that the same thing? I'm going to have to look into this, how interesting.

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    2. Crock Pot liners are amazing!!

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    3. Crock pot liners are amazing!! They are in the same area as the zip loc bags and foil, I have the Reynolds slow cooker liners. I use them every single time I use the crock pot, makes clean up so easy! I used one today with the lasagna so I will let you know tomorrow if it effects the recipe at all.

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    4. Yes I used the liner with my lasagna and it came out perfect...Not to mention SUPER EASY to clean after. I LOVE those liners!!!! They are made by Reynolds and they are called SLOW COOKER liners. Come 4 to a pack for around 2.50 or so. If you love to use your crock pot these are a definitely a must have!!!

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  56. I'm wondering if anyone has cooked over night? I'm taking this to work on Thursday and can't see myself waking up at 430am to start cooking. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

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    1. I would probably just prepare everything the night before and refrigerate it until the morning and start cooking it then. Or I may cook it halfway that evening and finish it up in the morning. I hope it works out for you!

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  57. I am really wanting to try this out in my crockpot this week. However, I am gone for about 10 hours for work each day. Any suggestions on how to cook it for that long without it burning/overcooking? Or would it cook long enough if I turned it on high when I get home?

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    1. It might be the safest for you to prepare it before hand and then cook it on high when you get home from work. Another thing you can do is cook it on a Sunday and reheat it throughout the week. You should have plenty of leftovers unless you have a big family. Good luck!

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  58. I made the much talked about crock pot lasagna yesterday… very good! I think I will try vegie lasagna next time with a white cream sauce : )

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    1. Yay! You'll have to share your recipe for the veggie with white cream sauce.

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  59. This was so yummy! I can't believe this...lasagna in a crockpot :)

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  60. I made this today! It was awesome. Started the crock at 7:30am on high till about 8, put on "keep warm". Got home at 5:30. It was cooked PERFECTLY!!!!!! Hubby and my three year old loved it! I did use 16 oz of cottage cheese, i was in a hurry when trying to put it all together this morning. BUT WOO HOO! Will do again, it is nice to not have to cook and take care of two little kids after working all day. Thanks to you and to pinterest! - Casey

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  61. Could you use ricotta cheese instead?

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  62. Made it, turns out great, I left mine in a little long (the full 4 hours, tisk my crockpot runs hot and it's not automatic), but had awesome crunchy bits on the bottom I ate right away. I made mine without meat because I didn't have the time/energy/want to brown meat, and it was juuuust fine. I eyeballed the ingredients, used a 'regular' size jar of spaghetti and added about a quarter jar (high tech spaghetti jar measuring) of water to make sure it was liquidy enough to steam the noodles. Turned out great despite my slacker approach, and I'm doing it again tonight and changing some ingredients up to feel fancy (mushrooms?! crazyness)! I love this recipe because it's low fuss, it's actually good, and fairly quick to cook. I'm gone 10hrs so with a manual crockpot I usually have to stay up late to start it (so it's 6-8hrs) and turn it off in the morning.

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  63. I made this last night with ricotta cheese...DELICIOUS!!! There wasn't any left! Everyone loved it! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!!

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  64. My crockpot only has low not warm would that be ok?How long would it have 2 stay if I had it on low I don't want it 2 burn?

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    1. I'm sure the low setting would be fine. I would say it could probably stay in for the full 4 hours unless your crockpot usually cooks hot. Will you be around to look at it through the top every once in a while? I'm sure it will turn out great. Good luck!

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  65. Got this from Pinterest. I made it yesterday, it was great! Thanks for sharing, will definitely make more soon!

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  66. Love Pinterest and I have this recipe in my crockpot as we speak...I only had 2 layers total. Not sure if that makes a difference. I didn't measure anything, I used a bag of Mozz that was already open and used the remainer of my cottage cheese as well. So I just dumped, mixed and spread. I pray it turns out ok...but it was last minute decision and I didnt have time to run to the store. I also have it on high for now, but will check on it regularly. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

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  67. Just popped this into my (antique, it must be 30 years old at least!) crockpot that my Mom recently 'gifted' to me....it seems to run a little 'hot' when it's on high, so I will leave it on low when I pop out today and hopefully be home in 4 hours or less :-)
    I used a pound of ground beef and two spicy italian sausages (squeezed it out of the casing) and dumped in a jar of Ragu original, my kid's favorite spaghetti sauce. Mixed up the mozza with some ricotta, went a little less on this as kid's are picky about too much cheese (boo hoo, I love cheese, the more the better!!). Used up all my leftover boxes of lasagna noodles, score! Looking forward to seeing how it turns out tonight, thanks for the recipe!
    Tracey in Calgary :-)

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    1. I too have an older crock-pot that was passed down from my mother, that must be why mine cooks so hot. I'm glad to see that people are not afraid to change up the ingredients. It really makes it your own that way. I hope you and your family enjoy the results!

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  68. Thank you for this! This turns lasagna from a "gah, I don't want to go through the fuss of making it" meal, to a once a month meal. The possibilities are endless now! I always have noodles on hand, so I have a feeling I don't always have to use lasagna noodles. This makes me endlessly happy, I can't even tell you. I have the feeling I'm going to have fun experimenting with this technique. I added finely shredded veggies to my first round of awesome, I can't wait for the next! This is simply brilliant.

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  69. Msking this on Saturday, I feel super prepared with all the variations and through others trials and-although very few-errors! Found this on Pinterest, I almost started a blog about the things I have done since Pinterest came around lol! But I see that Heather (and probably lots more) have had the same experience! I will keep you posted!

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  70. Found this on Pinterest, made it tonight and my husband and 2 y/o daughter shoveled it in!! Stamp of approval from this house. Yum yum!

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  71. Oh, and wanted to add that I used ground turkey and used onion and garlic powder and also put in fresh basil with the cheese.

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  72. I made this last week and it was AMAZING!!! My friends loved it! Making it again tonight! :-) Very easy for a busy college student to make!

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  73. Add me to the long list of people who tried it and LOVED it.... Family loved it too. As easy as it looks. WOW!

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  74. Trying it tonight for Friends house friday!!!

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  75. Love it! Not a cook. Never bought cottage cheese in my life. LOVE this recipe. Easy smeezy. I used a 1.5 quart pot. Cooked it on low for almost 4 hours. For me, I need to add more lasagna noodles next time, but other than that, it is fabulous. Great for the college life! Thanks!

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  76. I tried it tonight and it was soo good. I sadly dont have a crockpot so I used a big pot and put on low on the stove for 4 hrs and it came out perfect. Great recipe.

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  77. Made this about 2 weeks ago and the family loved it! There was enough for 6-8 people with leftovers! Now I'm looking for other easy crockpot recipes like this, hope you have more to select from and experiment with.

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  78. My husband and I enjoy a chicken lasagna. We will have to try the recipe in the crock pot! Thank you for sharing!

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  79. trying your recipe, i loaded it into the crockpot tonight. i added a couple cloves of chopped garlic, half of a chopped green pepper, half of a red onion chopped up and about a quarter tsp of dried oregano to the sauce, i also used to jar of a 4 cheese tomato sauce, and i used the non-cook noodles; i'm really nervous about how this is going to turn out. i'm debating whether or not to pour some water into it since others are saying it needs a little liquid (if you don't use the tomato sauce listed in the recipe), but would it still need the liquid with the no cook noodles? i hope this turns out right. it sounds very yummy!

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    1. Sounds delicious! Don't be nervous, cooking should be fun. Besides if it doesn't turn out exactly right you can try it again with some adjustments. The onion and other veg will add moisture and as long as the lid stays on enough steam will be created and cook the noodles. It's like magic! I hope you enjoy it!

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  80. This sounds great and easy to boot! Can't wait to try it!

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  81. I am so making this. tonight!! Thank you for this recipe...i actually cannot wait to try it!
    i am your newest follower..pls follow back if you can.

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  82. Tried this recipe last night. HUGE hit at my house. Absolutely delicious!!!

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  83. I am definitely going to try this recipe. I have a general crockpot question for you though. I love your idea of putting it on high in the morning and then leaving it on warm for the rest of the day. I always struggle with wanting to use my crockpot, but I work long days. I want to cook a chicken crockpot recipe tomorrow. Is it safe to use that method (leaving it on warm to cook all day) when cooking chicken? Thanks!
    -Not-So-Fertile Gilr
    notsofertilegirl.wordpress.com

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    1. You have to be careful when it comes to Chicken. I'm not an expert and don't know how your particular crock pot works. I definitely don't want you to get sick so I wouldn't recommend it. I'm not sure what kind of recipe it is...There are so many variables with crock-pot cooking. To be honest I struggle with chicken in the crock-pot. No matter how much liquid there is, it seems to turn out dry :( I hope that you have success with your recipe. Sorry I wasn't more helpful.

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    2. Thanks for the advice. I asked a friend of mine today, and she also thought I shouldn't do it. Maybe a good rule for cooking is if you feel iffy about it, it's not worth it (safety-wise)! :-P She suggested that I make it in the crockpot the night before (after we eat dinner), then all I have to do the next night is heat it up. I think I'll use that idea. The 2 chicken recipes I'm going to try are:
      http://momswithcrockpots.com/2012/01/sour-cream-and-bacon-crockpot-chicken/
      http://www.kayotic.nl/blog/country-club-chicken

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    3. Cooking ahead is a great idea and can save some time. Those recipes sound delicious!

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  84. Brilliant! you should stop over at www.getouttamyheadplease.com and Link up in show it off party

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  85. Delicious! And so easy! Thank you!

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  86. I made this today and it was so good! Thanks for sharing!

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  87. Mine is in the crockpot right now... let's hope it turns out as good as yours! It sure smells delicious!! Thanks for sharing!

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  88. Hello, I made your dish and it was a hit in our family. I made my own sauce and put some sweet basil in the cottage cheese for a little more flavor. I did it for 4 hours on low cause my crock pot does not have a warm setting, and added mozzarella cheese to the top of it and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and it melted beautifully. Thank you for the wonderful idea will be making this at least twice a month as it's cost effective and easy to make....thanks again Cynthia

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  89. I just started my crock pot and I am so excited for this tonight. I always have preferred crock pot recipes or recipes where it all goes into 1 baking dish in the over. Quick and simple is my motto! Im even making a loaf of garlic herb bread to go with it in my bread machine!!!

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  90. I have a 5 quart crock and wonder if you can double this recipe? I also have a 3 quart and think that would work fine for the recipe as is. Thanks!

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  91. You can ignore my previous post about the 5 and 2 quart crockpots! I made my way through all of the replies and found my answer!

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  92. This was delicious! I made this last night and I couldn't be happier! I only had about 2 1/4 cups worth of mozzarella, so I put 1/2 cup of parmesan and 1 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar mixed with the cottage cheese. I cooked mine for 30 minutes on high and about 2 1/2 hours on low and it was done, so I just set it to warm for the couple hours we still had left til dinner. It turned out really good and I will definitely be making it again soon!

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  93. This looked so good I decided to try it for dinner tonight. Since I didn't have any ground beef on hand I switched it to chicken and Alfredo sauce.

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    1. Sounds good! Let us know how it turns out. Previous people who have tried poultry had problems with it being overcooked/dry. I'm assuming it might be because there's not as much grease to keep things moist. You might want to add some water. Best of luck!

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  94. Quick question, how is this a time saver? When I make lasagna, I brown the meat and onions, mix with sauce, and then layer it in the pan. Once that is done, I bake it for about an hour at 375'F It seems that all the steps are the same until it comes to the crockpot/oven time.

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    1. I don't think I said it was a time saver but I did say it was convenient. With my crock-pot I can prep the meal, go to work, then come home and serve lasagna. It's nice to not have to worry leaving the crock-pot unattended, with oven cooking I could never do that. Not to mention to me crock-pot lasagna is DELICIOUS. The flavors really come together in the crock-pot. If you try it let me know what you think?

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  95. I love our Slow Cooker Sundays. Especially when we head up to the inlaws for the day. We put this on before we leave and then come home to a delicious meal ready to go. We're going to give this a go today. Since our cooker is big and cooks pretty hot I'm going to put it on high til we leave then just set it to warm while we're gone. Then I can kick it up again once we're home if needed. I shall let you know! :) This saves us cooking when we get home. And we always forget how long lasagna takes otherwise.

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  96. Just wanted to add that I'm the newest Pinterest fan--worked perfectly! I've never really made lasagna before because the crazy hard versions always scared me, haha! This one was a cinch! :)

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  97. This came out fabulous! I actually browned my meat and added my sauce (I prefer Rizzos, doctored up by adding an uncut onion with cloves placed in it, bay leaves, and parsely I then remove the onion and bay leaves) used a whole thing of ricotta and almost two bags of mozarella cheese and assembled this in my crock pot insert so it would be ready to go the next day. Cooked on high for 30 minutes (4-6hr setting) and then placed it on warm from 9am to 3pm, then placed on high for 20minutes and everything was cooked. It was a big hit and super easy to make! Thank you so much this is a new crock pot fav!

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  98. My husband and I love this!!! This is a weekly recipe for us now!!! Thank you so much!

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  99. I just tried this recipie. It was my very first crock pot meal. I followed the directions as posted, the only things I changed were the cheeses, I used riccotta cheese and I added chopped spinich to my cheese mixture. This was soo delish! I will definitely be making it again! Thank you for a great meal!

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  100. So is it just a big mess when you scoop it out?

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    1. Nope it wasn't a big mess for me. I did nothing special to the picture I took of the final results. Besides it's the taste that counts. I hope you'll give it a chance!

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    2. Thanks I will try them.
      I made these little mini wonton lasagnas and they are wonderful. You might like them.
      http://www.prevention.com/food/cook/easy-recipes-use-pesto-make-healthy-dinners

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  101. From what I can tell, the crock pot I used was 2 qt. It looks like the ones I could find online (they don't make the one I have, it's nowhere on the internet). This filled it up about 2/3 when I turned it on, when it was finished, it was about 3/4 full (using 2 cans of tomato sauce around 30 oz). I followed the directions very loosely. I have no idea how much of the different cheeses I used, I added spinach to the meat sauce, added seasonings to the meat, and used ricotta cheese instead of cottage. It was delicious! Thanks for the base recipe! Add the things you like in lasagna! I think I may add some zucchini and carrots next time (I'm always sneaking in veggies to the boys' food).

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  102. I found your recipe on Pinterest and tried it today for the first time!!! Excellent!!! Thanks so much!

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  103. Found my way here from Pinterest. Made this for Mother's Day. It had such a good taste. It was a little soupy but it was my fault. After adding all the ingredients I thought about the comments about it being dry and we should add more water. I decided to add a bit of spaghetti sauce on top. That made it soupy. I thought about it later and I think people were saying with ricotta cheese to add a bit more moisture (ie: water or sauce). Even my daughter's boyfriend who is a chef said it had a good taste. I did what someone said and added some basil to the cheese mixture and added some garlic and onion to the beef. I should have added a little more garlic and onion I thought. But it served 7 adults and one 4 year old with nothing left over. We had it with a salad and garlic cheesy bread. It made a stress free meal. I love how I will be able to adapt some variety into it in the future too.
    Oh yes, I have a large slow cooker/crock pot. It filled it about 2/3 full and than expanded some more as it cooked. I may try a little more noodles next time. We like noodles.
    nonnadonnas.blogspot.com

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  104. We made this tonight and it was SOOOOO good!! My kids LOVED it, even my super picky "I hate Lasagna" 8 year old. They all made yummy/moaning sounds all through dinner. =) Yay me!! lol! Thank you so much for sharing!!!

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  105. I did made this last night mi husband, he dont even believed me that was my first time making lasagna, and even that it was made on the crock pot!!!
    definetely a keeper, im going to share it with my mom and family! its really awesome!
    thank you so much for sharing!

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  106. Just found your blog on Pinterest! thanks for sharing, I NEVER thought of making crockpot lasagna. I am super excited!

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  107. Is it okay to use the oven ready noodles? That's what I have on hand and I really want to make this!! :)

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  108. I'm afraid if you use those noodles it would turn out mushy, but I've never actually tried it. Let me know what you decide to do and how it turns out.

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  109. I got mine cooking now! Was super easy to make! Going to do this from now on, never buying a frozen one again.

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  110. Do you think you could make these with the large pasta shells and stuff them with the cheese mixture?

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  111. I made this last night and it was Amazing!! My boyfriend and I loved it! I used Ricotta instead of cottage and I did chop onions up and add them to the meat as I browned it :) I have a 4qt crock pot and I just layered it until I had no more ingredients left lol I left it on low for 4 hours and it was perfect! I hope Y'all make this cause its Awesome!

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  112. I made this tonight for my hubby's bday and I used the Morning Star meal starter soy instead of ground beef since hubby doesn't eat meat and it was awesome!!! Highly recommend this!!

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  113. A big hit in the house.... And I was glad I didn't have to turn on the oven, Definitely making this again... Thank you

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  114. I made this tonight and it was delicious! The last thing I want to do in this hot summer heat (with no air conditioning) is turn on the oven. I loved that it uses the slow cooker. It was so easy to put together and tasted amazing!!

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  115. I make this using chopped up cheese ends from the deli. Every bite has a different flavor. Some Swiss, some provolone, some pepper jack. It's delicious!! Definitely a crowd pleaser for tailgating.

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    1. O my that does sound good! What a great idea for using up any extra cheese you might have leftover.

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  116. Cooking this as we speak! I went an extra layer, will cook on high for 1/2 - 1 hr then switch to 6hr heat level and check it in a few hours. Started it later than planned... Kids! ;) I'll let you know how it turns out.

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  117. thx for the great recipe i have it going right now . i work 3rd and sleep during the day . so hopefully when i get up it will be done right :) lasagna is my favorite meal. thx again!!! ill let you know how it turned out.

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  118. Just put this in the crock pot! Can't wait to see how it tastes!

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  119. I am going to make this tonight! Yummm! Seems so easy. I have crockpot cooking bags, so I will use them instead of the spray.. :) I will let you know!~ :)

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  120. how many servings does this make?

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  121. I made this today. I have a huge 8 quart Hamilton Beach crock pot, so I doubled the recipe. I put the crock pot on high while preparing it, the put it on warm for 9 hours while I went to work. 9 hours was too long. The noodles got too mushy. It was edible, but I willl try it for a shorter period next time so th noodles will still have some texture. For those of you worried about temp while on warm all day, I put a thermometer in the finished lasagna and it was 165.

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  122. Second time making this!! I have also shared it with 3 people. It is super quick & super easy. I always end up doubling the sauce though otherwise it turns out a bit dry for us. I love that I don't have to cook the noodles first!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!

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  123. I made this tonight at my house and it was a huge hit. My five year old asked that I make it every night. BTW, I made it with oven ready noodles and ricotta cheese instead of the cottage cheese and it turned out great.
    Thank you for the quick, easy and tasty meal.

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  124. SUCCESS!!!! Here's what I did. My crockpot is one that has five settings (4 hr, 6 hrs, 8 hrs, 10 hrs, warm). I assembled everything the night before, and stuck it on the fridge. I took it straight from the fridge and turned it to the 4 hr setting for about one hour. I then turned it down to the 10 hr setting. It cooked for about 3 1/2 hrs on that setting till we got home from church. Everything was cooked and ready to eat!

    The edges were just starting to get a bit dried out and the noodles were maybe a *little* past al dente. Next time I will probably just start it on the 10 hr setting from the beginning. (Which would make it cooking for 4 1/2 hrs on that setting).

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    1. Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm glad it turned out so well!

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  125. This was amazing!!! Used ground chicken instead of ground beef and subbed the ricotta cheese for cottage cheese. MAKING THIS AGAIN!

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  126. This is now a go-to delicious recipe for us! THANKS!
    *We used crockpot liners for it and it also makes clean up nice. There is a coupon for them currently too :).

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    1. You're welcome. I'm so happy you have a go-to recipe!

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  127. Jessie thanks for the liner tip I wanted to try that but was cautious since it was my first time... The lasagne is in my crockpot right now and my home smells delish. Can't wait to dig in. Waiting for it to set and cool!

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  128. in the crock pot right now! Hope it turns out, i got a late start on it just put it in about a half hour ago. I used spaghetti sauce with a little water added, ricotta cheese and the no bake noodles, i didn't have any mozz cheese so i grated up some sting cheese:)and also used Parmesan cheese I'm going to try and cook it on high as it is already 6p here. hope it turns out!!!!

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  129. I made lasagna for the first time ever using this recipe and cooking method. I add a few other ingredients, like spinach and mushrooms, with ricotta. It was AMAZING!!! I cannot wait to make it again for a potluck :) Thank you!

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  130. I'm definitely making this! Putting it on my menu right now.
    BTW, I'm a new follower, too :)
    Thanks for sharing!
    Sarah :)

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  131. I went to make this and had no ricotta or cottage cheese, so I experimented lol! I used all the cheeses I had (mozz, cheddar, monterery jack) mixed with sour cream and a little milk! Turned out perfect and it was almost exactly like I had used cottage cheese anyways! My only advice is with meals like this those liners are your best friend! I haven't had to actually wash my crockpot in months because I just always use the liners. Oh and I used spaghetti sauce, and the seasoning in the sauce along with onion powder and garlic pepper on the meat while it cooked was perfect! I will be making this again for sure!

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  132. This was really good. I had 2 layers of cheese, and I thought it was a bit chewy with all that mozza. I didn't have any cottage, so I put in ricotta. Should I use cottage for less chewy layers, or less mozza next time (i shredded 4 cups of part skim mozza)
    Thanks for this awesome recipe. Everyone loved it and I am sure I'll make it again.
    Any tips for vegetable lasagna? :)

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  133. Im making this tomorrow, Im going to use my homemade sauce that I keep handy in the freezer. Its a bit on the chunky side so im planning to thin it out a bit with water or maybe cream? And im using ricotta,monzarella and fresh parisano regiano. What kinda consisstency should the sau e have if im using ricotta?

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    1. Homemade sauce is the best! The ricotta mixture will be pretty thick you just blop it on in spoonfuls, it will melt down and spread out. Hope it turned out great!

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  134. I would say no longer than 3 hours. I'm not sure exactly how hot your crock-pot gets but you don't want it to burn. Definitely keep a close eye on it so you can adjust the time as needed. Enjoy!

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  135. I tried this recipe today and was so thrilled when it turned out GREAT! I have one of those Crock Pots that has 4, 6, 8 and 10 hour settings along with the warm button. I cooked the meat and set everything up the night before, putting it in the fridge overnight. Started it on 10 hours when I left for work, and then turned it down to warm at lunchtime. The noodles were a little bit softer than making it in the oven, but I think next time I will just cook it completely on warm and it will be fine. It's super easy and I will be making lasagna a whole lot more often!

    Thanks so much!

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  136. In my crock pot now. I doubled the recipe so I was wondering if you're supposed to cook it for longer. I put it in at 4 p.m. so I don't know what time we're going to be eating at.

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  137. I've cooked this recipe several times already. It always looks awful (still working on that), but it tastes so good that nobody actually cares.

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  138. I've put this in the crock pot this morning, as I'm having surgery on my wrist today. This way, my family will have dinner all ready for them tonight! :) Thank you so much! I'm exciting to see how this turns out!

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    1. I hope that your surgery goes well and you have a quick recovery.

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  139. Planning to make this on Saturday for a Women's Pinterest Party at church, since that's where I found the recipe. Just going to make one crock pot full since it's more for sampling than for dining this time. We'll see how it goes! If all goes well, I'll try it on my family, although I'll have to be creative since they don't like ricotta or cottage cheese. I, on the other hand, love both, so they may just have to eat it anyway! :-)

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    1. That sounds so fun! I would make it for your family anyway and see if they notice ;)

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  140. I made this for my family for dinner last night. I put it on at 11am on high and we ate it at 5:00. It turned out really good except the sauce made it kind of watery on top (added more cheese to help that)and I burnt the sides; but I like a crispier lasagna so it actually turned out well. My husband didn't care for it but he's a picky one anyway! haha Thanks for the recipe.

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  141. Hello!

    About a week ago, I saw this recipe on Pinterest and as I'm always on the lookout for new crock-pot recipes I knew I had to save it. Good thing I did since I was about to grab a frozen lasagna at Wal Mart for dinner. In the middle of the aisle I remembered your recipe, pulled it up on the ol' smart phone, and gathered up those ingredients instead. It's in the crock pot now. Just wanted to say a big "thank you!" for saving us from another boring, frozen, "box food" dinner.

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  142. This is a really great recipe! I tried it this week but added a layer of breaded and fried eggplant. I did the 4 hour cooking but I think next time I will try longer on a lower heat. I had a coupla spots on the sides that burnt. I found that no 2 crock pots cook the same....I have three and all are different. Thanks!

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  143. I made this today and it turned out delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe!

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  144. I haven't made this yet but I plan on making it. My family doesn't like riccotta cheese or cottage cheese so I use Mushroom soup instead in my oven lasagna. I just mix condensed mushroom soup with a little water and drop is in spoonfuls all over the lasagna. Don't spread it all over or it will be too much.

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  145. I always though making lasagna had to be super complicated. Not with this recipe! My husband absolutely loved this. It was so easy too. The only problem I had with it was, after cooking the ground beef, then putting it in the crock pot, the meat was a little overcooked for my taste. How do I avoid this? Just don't brown the meat as long?
    I will be making this again tomorrow. Great recipe.

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  146. The noodles and meat were so overcooked! I had to throw it away! And I missed the cooked crusty cheese on top.

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