If you are looking to make some delicious lasagna, but do not have an oven available or do not want to heat up the house, then preparing lasagna in a crock pot, or slow cooker, is a great option to explore. Read on to learn how to make crock pot lasagna.

1. Be sure to cook on low only to prevent burns

2. Make sure all meat is cooked fully to kill bacteria

3. Experiment with vegetables, meats and spices to make the recipe your own

4. When using no-cook lasagna noodles, cut the cooking time in half

5. Allowing the lasagna to cool will make it easier to cut and serve

6. Take care when serving as the lasagna will be extremely hot

While the preparation method for crock pot lasagna is very similar to that of making it in an oven, one main difference is that the lasagna noodles do not need to be cooked ahead of time. You will still need to gather your ingredients, prepare the meat and sauce, assemble the layers and cook.

• 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped or pressed
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 28 oz. jar of tomato sauce, any variety
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 12 oz lasagna noodles, uncooked
• Non-stick cooking spray

1. Brown the meat, onion and garlic in a large saucepan, then drain
2. Stir in the Italian seasoning, tomato sauce and water
3. Cook over medium heat until heated through
4. Mix the ricotta cheese, egg, oregano and 1.5 cups of mozzarella cheese in a large bowl
5. Spray your crock pot lightly with the non-stick cooking spray
6. Spoon in a thin layer of the meat sauce
7. Add a layer of the uncooked noodles, breaking them to fit and overlapping when necessary
8. Spoon in one-half of the cheese mixture
9. Repeat the process, adding another layer of sauce, noodles and cheese
10. Top the final layer with the remaining sauce
11. Cover and cook on low for four-to-five hours
12. Top with the remaining mozzarella cheese and cook until the cheese melts
13. Serve and enjoy!

• Add vegetables of your choice to the sauce, including mushrooms, broccoli or zucchini
• Add chopped spinach to the cheese mixture
• Experiment with spices, like crushed red pepper
• Substitute half the meat with uncased sausage
• Cottage cheese may be substituted for the ricotta cheese
• For a vegetarian option, substitute the meat for veggies
• To lower the carb count, use sliced eggplant in place of the noodles