This Easy Gluten Free Slow Cooker Lasagna will change your mind about making gluten free lasagna. If you’ve ever tried making lasagna with gluten free noodles you know what I mean.
You know how frustrating it can be to work with noodles that boil away to nothing. And once cooked, they tear easily, clump together, and basically become a mess. But what if you didn’t have to cook the noodles?
For me, it was a game changer. Not having to boil the noodles ahead of time means not worrying about over-cooking or under-cooking the pasta. It also means easily layering the uncooked noodles between the layers of meat sauce and cheese.
To make the recipe even easier, I purchased pre-shredded Mozzarella cheese and a pre-shredded blend of Parmesan and Romano cheese. Now you can certainly shred or grate your own cheese, but I was looking to save some time with the prep work.
We don’t have a skillet large enough to cook 3 pounds of ground meat and hold over 40 ounces of canned tomatoes, so I used my Dutch oven. I was able to saute the onion, brown the meat, and add all the canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices to the Dutch oven and still have room to spare.
The cheese mixture comes together pretty quickly. Simply combine the Ricotta, shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese blend, basil, spices, and eggs. Once combined you’re ready to start building the lasagna.
Normally, when I’m using my slow cooker, I like to use liners. But this time I simply sprayed the inside of the slow cooker with cooking spray. The sides of the crock gave the lasagna a nice firm texture, but clean-up was still a breeze.
When building the lasagna, start with 1/4 of the meat/tomato mixture, then cover it with 4 lasagna noodles. (I broke some of the noodles to fit the shape of the slow cooker.) Then scatter 1/3 of the Mozzarella cheese over the noodles to complete the first layer.
Repeat the process two more times starting with the meat/tomato mixture and ending with the Mozzarella cheese. Finish the layering by adding the remaining meat/tomato mixture and top with the last 1/2 cup of Mozzarella cheese.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours. Afterwards, turn off the slow cooker and let the lasagna set for 30 minutes before serving.
The combination of flavors is amazing! If you’re looking for tasty comfort food without a lot of effort, give this Easy Gluten Free Slow Cooker Lasagna a try. You’ll fill your home with a wonderful aroma and give your taste buds a special treat. Enjoy!
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- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- black pepper
- 3 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 1/4 cups finely shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese blend
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 12 uncooked gluten free lasagna noodles
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
In a Dutch oven, or large skillet, over medium heat, add the olive oil and chopped onion and saute for about 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef, sausage and garlic and cook until brown, about 10 minutes.
Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, tomato paste, 1 tablespoon minced basil, oregano, salt and some pepper and stir. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan and Romano blend, 1 tablespoon minced basil, salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper and eggs and mix together until thoroughly combined.
Spray a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
Place 1/4 of the meat mixture on the bottom of the slow cooker. Top with 4 gluten free lasagna noodles, broken to fit. Spread 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
Continue this layering process twice, starting with the meat mixture and ending with the mozzarella, for a total of 3 layers.
Top with the remaining meat mixture and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours.
Turn off the slow cooker and let the lasagna rest for 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman.
Kelsey says
September 11, 2018 at 1:08 pmLook delicious I gotta try this one! Thanks for all the ideas!