So I asked on Facebook yesterday how everyone felt about freezer meals and the consensus is that we need them!! We are some busy people with some important stuff to do and we need to get some healthy and delicious meals on the table with minimum effort. I've got a few more ideas in the works but for today I have a delicious veggie lasagna! Spend a little time on the weekend assembling the ingredients and have two dinners worth in your freezer ready to go!
I don't know about you but I find it pretty relaxing to chop some veggies and measure ingredients. I made this recipe and one other, so four meals in total, the other morning with the TV on and a peaceful house. It felt good to have it done and now I have a backup any night of the week when things get crazy!
You can start out by chopping up your veggies and then you will mix up your cheeses. Toss it all together with the sauce and divide the filling equally between two large ziploc bags. All you will need to have on hand for cooking day is a box of lasagna noodles and some extra cheese!
I also want to say that you can totally customize the veggies you use here to your liking. It's almost like a kitchen sink kind of recipe. Throw in whatever you have! Make it a little different every time.
Thaw the frozen sauce mix overnight in the fridge (up to 24 hours). To assemble you will put a little sauce down, break up some noodles, lay another layer of sauce down and repeat a few time. Make sure you leave plenty of sauce for the top and then load it up with some more cheese!
If you will be out of the house all day, make sure you use a crock that can switch to warm after the programmed amount of time or else wait and start this around lunch time. If you let it go way to long you could end up with a mushy and/or burnt mess. Also be sure you let it sit with the lid off and the heat turned off for about half an hour and it will be a cinch to cut and serve! This will feed about four people (we still have a little left over, too) and I made it in a 5 quart oval crock.
Freezer Meal: Slow Cooker Veggie Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 medium yellow squash
- 4 oz mushrooms
- 1 bell pepper I used half a red and half a yellow
- ½ medium yellow sweet onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes drained
- 2.5 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- 15 oz container Ricotta
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 23 oz jar pasta sauce
- 15 oz can tomato sauce our just use additional pasta sauce
- ½ pound about 9 or 10 lasagna noodles
Instructions
- Chop zucchini, squash, mushrooms and pepper into small bite sized pieces
- Add to large bowl with onion, garlic and drained diced tomatoes
- In another bowl mix together ricotta, parmesan, one cup of mozzarella and seasonings until well combined
- Add cheese mixture to veggie bowl along with spaghetti sauce and tomato sauce
- Toss together until well combined
- Divide equally into two labeled large freezer bags and place in freezer until ready to use
- Thaw in fridge overnight up to 24 hours
- Place one cup of sauce on bottom of large oval crock
- Break 2-3 noodles to fit to form the first noodle layer
- Add another cup of sauce and noodles, repeat
- Pour remaining sauce over top and cover with additional 1 ½ cups cheese
- Cover and cook on high for around 3 hours or low for 5-6
- Let sit uncovered for 30 minutes with heat off, then slice and serve
What would you recommend for time/temp in the oven? I want to make several mini lasagnas to have on hand.
I havnen't tested it out specifically but typically the best temp for casseroles and lasagnas would be 350 degrees. The amount of time will depend on how big your mini dishes are, but I would say somewhere between 20-40 minutes as a starting point.
Did you use no-cook noodles? If you didn't, what kind did you use.
I used regular lasagna noodles but you could also use no-boil noodles.
Hi. When do you add the vegetables to the slow cooker? I only see where it says to add the sauce and noodles. Thank you!
Never mind :o). I saw that the veggies were mixed into the sauce. Can't wait to try it!
Let me know once you do!!
Do we thaw one bag or both bags when ready to make the lasagna?
One bag! That will end up being at least 4-6 servings.
Love this recipe! pinned to try. Thanks for sharing. found at sweet bella roos linky. Have a wonderful week.
Thanks!!