Slow Cooker Veggie Lasagna

This simple lasagna recipe is packed with veggies and calcium-rich dairy. Cooking it in a slow cooker is a great way to prepare a healthy home-cooked meal on a weeknight. This recipe comes to us from our friends at Produce for Kids.

Cooking Tip of the Week: No-boil lasagna noodles are a great time saver, but you may need to add extra liquid to your recipe since the noodles will absorb it. Check the package for a recommendation on adding water or additional sauce to the recipe.

Food for Thought: This recipe calls for sweet onions, which have a pleasant, sweet flavor that kids love! Sweet onions are typically white or yellow and have a flattened (or squished!) look. White onions are the strongest tasting, so they’re best when cooked, while red onions are best for eating raw in salads or guacamole. When in doubt, just go with yellow onions, they’re all-purpose!

Family Dinner Conversation Starter: If you could have dinner with any person in the world, who would you pick?

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup bell pepper, seeded, chopped
• 1 sweet onion, finely chopped
• 3 cups baby spinach, chopped
• 1 pound (16 oz.) 2% cottage cheese
• 2 cups (plus 1/2 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 26 ounces low-sodium pasta sauce
• 2 zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 8 ounces no-boil whole wheat lasagna noodles

Directions:

Adult: Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, peppers, onions and spinach, and cook 5 minutes, or until water evaporates.

Kid: Mix cottage cheese, 2 cups mozzarella cheese and salt in mixing bowl.

Together: Assemble lasagna in slow cooker as follows: 1/3 of pasta sauce, single layer noodles, 1/3 of cooked vegetables, single layer zucchini and 1/3 of cottage cheese mixture. Repeat for another 2 layers.

Kid: Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese on top.

Together: Cook on low 5 hours, or until noodles and zucchini are tender.