An easier homemade lasagna I have never made.
It was perfect. The rice lasagna noodles were tender. The filling hot and creamy, the melted cheeses velvety soft.
Karina’s Slow Cooker Lasagna with Ground Turkey and Three Cheeses
By Karina Allrich
Such a cheesy, classic- yet light- lasagna. The organic ground turkey is delicious. To keep this recipe vegetarian, swap out the ground turkey with plenty of roasted veggies. To make it beefier, use ground beef if you prefer. The trick is to use plenty of pasta sauce, and cook it on high- but don’t overcook it. With uncooked noodles, slightly cool cheeses, and warm meat sauce, I cooked it on High for a tad over 3 hours.
Ingredients:
1 10-oz. box Gluten-Free Lasagna Noodles (you’ll need 9 flat noodles)
3 cups of flavorful pasta sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
Filling and topping
Ground Turkey Filling:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds ground organic turkey
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Cheese Filling:
1 lb. ricotta cheese (we used whole milk)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
1 organic egg, beaten
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon minced parsley
For topping:
9 slices of good mozzarella
Minced parsley
Instructions:
Turn the Crock Pot Casserole on ‘High’ to preheat it as you cook the turkey.
For the turkey filling: Warm the olive oil in a medium large skillet, add the minced garlic and stir for one minute. Add the ground turkey, break it apart and stir until browned, and any liquid is cooked off. Add the oregano, salt and pepper, and dashes of balsamic vinegar. Set aside.
Make the cheese filling by combining the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, shredded Parmesan, egg, sea salt and pepper, and minced parsley. Blend until creamy. Set aside.
Add a half cup of pasta sauce to the turkey and stir to combine. Set aside.
To assemble:
Add 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar to the remaining pasta sauce and stir.
Spoon a half cup of pasta sauce into the bottom of the Crock Pot casserole dish and spread it with a spoon.
Place three uncooked gluten-free lasagna noodles on the sauce.
Spoon the turkey mixture over the noodles, evenly. Press lightly to create an even layer of turkey.
Top with three more uncooked gluten-free lasagna noodles.
Spoon the ricotta cheese filling over the noodles evenly.
Layer with three remaining uncooked gluten-free lasagna noodles and press lightly to flatten a bit.
Pour the remaining two cups of pasta sauce over the top and let it seep down the sides a bit. Drizzle chicken broth over the top and sides.
Top with slices of mozzarella and sprinkle with minced parsley.
Cover and cook for 3 hours to 3 hours and 15 minutes on High; resist lifting the top to peek- you’ll lose too much heat. To test- crack the lid a tad and slip a thin knife into a pasta noodle; it is done when the noodle is tender and soft. If you need to cook longer, continue cooking for 15 minutes.
Allow the lasagna to rest a few minutes and set a bit before slicing and serving.
This makes: 8 generous servings.
