Summer Slow Cooker Lasagna

I love using the slow cooker during the summer, our apartment doesn't have air conditioning, so sometimes turning on the oven just isn't an option. This recipe is great to enjoy on one of those too hot days, especially since it incorporates a lot of summer vegetables.

Recipe from Oh My Veggies.

Ingredients: 

-1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

-1 medium onion, chopped

-1 large zucchini, chopped

-1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

-2 large ears corn, kernels removed

-1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

-1 clove garlic, minced

-1/2 teaspoon salt

-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

-2 1/2 cups canned tomato sauce

-12 uncooked lasagna noodles

-1 1/3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

-1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

-1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes, until it starts to soften. Next add in the zucchini, eggplant, corn, tomatoes, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes, until the veggies are tender. Remove from the heat, taste and season with additional salt and red pepper flakes if needed.

A lot of tasty vegetables. 

To build the lasagna in your slow cooker:

1. Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker. 
2. Top with a layer of three lasagna noodles, breaking them as needed to fit. 
3. Using a slotted spoon, top with 1/3 of the vegetable mixture, then 1/2 cup of the sauce and 1/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. 

Repeat steps 1 through 3 two more times. Top with a final layer of noodles and the remaining 1/2 cup of the sauce. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/3 cup mozzarella, the parmesan and panko.

Cover and cook on low for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours, until the noodles are cooked through. Turn off the slow cooker and let sit uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. 

There are so many fresh vegetables packed into this lasagna, each portion was teeming with vegetables. Dave liked that this was colorful and flavorful. It was easy to make, aside from prepping all of the vegetables before sauteing them. I will be making this again once we pick up some produce from the summer garden's everyone has put together.