Ingredients:

  • 1 pound (450g) ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (28 ounce/800g) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15 ounce/425g) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (6 ounce/170g) can tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
  • 24 ounces (680g) cottage cheese, full fat or low fat
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup (30g) grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 9 oven-ready lasagna noodles
  • 2 cups (225g) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Instructions:

  1. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef over medium-high heat. Drain off any excess grease. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
  2. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and sugar (if using) to the skillet with the beef mixture. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine the cottage cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and salt. Mix well.
  4. Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce on the bottom of the crockpot. Top with 3 lasagna noodles (you may need to break them to fit). Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles, then sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese.
  5. Repeat layers in the order: sauce, noodles, cottage cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese. For the final layer: Top with sauce then noodles, the remaining meat sauce and the remaining mozzarella cheese.
  6. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours. The noodles should be tender and the cheese melted and bubbly.
  7. Let the lasagna rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing and serving. This allows the layers to set and prevents a soupy mess.