Healthy Crockpot Lasagna with Chicken and Veggies
Healthy Crockpot Lasagna with Chicken and Veggies is a staple in our home, because it’s quick, easy and SO delicious. I hope it will become a staple in yours as well!
Whenever I’m planning meals for the week, I always ask Ethan if there’s anything specific he wants on the menu. His typical response is, “I trust you”. While I totally appreciate his trust in me, sometimes I’m really looking for some inspiration!
Last Sunday, I told him I wanted to make a crockpot meal, so we were brainstorming a few different options. I made SkinnyTaste‘s turkey, white bean & pumpkin chili the previous week, so chili was off the table. Every time Ethan does offer up an opinion regarding our meals for the week, he requests lasagna in some form. It never fails.
If you haven’t tried it already, see my Lasagna Roll-Up recipe for another tasty option.
why crockpot meals are perfect for sundays
I love having crockpot meals for dinner on Sundays. This is mostly because Sunday is my “get shit done” day. It’s the day I do my grocery shopping & meal prepping for the week, so it’s nice to have something cooking itself while I’m busy with other things. In addition, it makes a ton of food for just the two of us. You know what that means — leftovers for work lunches the next few days. You just can’t beat leftovers, amiright?
Once Ethan requested lasagna, I hopped on Pinterest and searched “healthy crockpot lasagna”. Of course, there were approximately five billion hits, but I landed on this version from Pinch of Yum. I have made several of her recipes before and I’ve never been disappointed. I figured this one would be no different!
POY’s version is vegetarian; however, all you wives out there probably know that men typically want some meat for dinner (at least mine does). I added lean ground chicken to ours (hence the name), but feel free to keep it veggie if that’s your style! We were already having a few other meatless meals that week. I figured I’d add some meat here so Ethan didn’t go too crazy. 😉 I made a few other adjustments to the recipe, but if you want to check out the original, click here.
healthy crockpot lasagna with chicken and veggies: super easy and full of nutrition
This meal is extremely easy and kinda fun to make. Ethan loves it and it tastes just as delicious reheated! That is hard to come by if you ask me! I also feel good about everything that’s in it. Whole grains, lots of greens, and lean, healthy sources of protein! Delizioso!
If you mess up the order of the layers, don’t fret. It’s honestly just a big ol’ mess at the end anyway. You’re bound to get a little bit of everything once you scoop it out! As you can see from my pictures, it’s not the prettiest meal either; it’s what’s on the inside that counts, right? ; ) Okay, Healthy Crockpot Lasagna with Chicken and Veggies recipe, coming right up!
Healthy Crockpot Lasagna with Chicken and Veggies
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground chicken or ground meat of choice
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 Tbsp garlic minced
- 24 oz marinara sauce
- 9 lasagna noodles whole wheat if available
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 3-4 cups fresh spinach
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Optional toppings:
- Shredded Parmesan cheese, chopped red onion, Italian seasoning, additional sauce for serving
Instructions
- First, cook the lean ground chicken in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once chicken is browned and cooked through, transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
- Next, cook the chopped yellow onion and garlic in the same pan, for about 2-3 minutes. Once cooked, transfer to the same bowl as the ground chicken, and stir to combine.
- Spray the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Spread ~1/2 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom so the noodles don’t stick.
- Break 3 noodles so that they fit and mostly cover the bottom of the crockpot, as pictured above.
- Layer the ingredients in this order: -1/2 cup of ricotta + 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt (I combine these in a measuring cup before spreading over noodles)-1/3 of your turkey and onion/garlic mixture-1 cup of fresh greens-2/3 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese -1/2 cup marinara sauce
- Repeat layers two more times for a total of three complete layers. End with a layer of noodles on top, covered with a thin layer of sauce and a little bit more shredded cheese. Top with chopped red onions, if desired, before turning crockpot on to cook.
- Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 5-6 hours. Use a pasta claw to scoop it out of the crockpot, or cut with a knife.
- Serve with Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese on top, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Voila! This Healthy Crockpot Lasagna with Chicken and Veggies is sure to please the whole family!
Tag me on Instagram @wellnessforthewin and use the hashtag #wellnessforthewin so I can see your creations! Or pin this recipe on Pinterest so you can easily refer back to it. Trust me – you’ll want to make it again. 😉
Enjoy!
Shanna
I made this but I cooked the noodles a little and made it in the stove. It was sooo yummy!!
Yay!!! I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
This is a new weekly staple in our house!! So easy and it makes the best leftovers for lunches!
Aww, yay!! That makes me so happy! I agree- the leftovers are almost even better!!! 🙂 🙂 Thank you for your feedback! <3
this recipe is seriously so good and so easy! i will be using this as a go-to meal for my boyfriend and i! can’t wait to eat leftovers this week 🙂
Aw, yay! That makes me so happy! I hope you love the leftovers — I think they taste even better after a day or two in the fridge. ; ) Thanks for the review! Enjoy! <3
This was so easy and so good! Sadly, my spinach went bad before I had the chance to make this, so looking forward to making again and adding I’m some greens!
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it! Yes, please try it again – delicious either way. ; ) Thanks for letting me know! <3
This recipe has become a monthly staple for me as I can live on it for a straight WEEK and never get tired of it! I sub ricotta + Greek yogurt for cottage cheese, ground turkey for ground chicken and add a lot of mushrooms, and it’s so, SO good!
Woo hoo! That makes me so happy! Love all of your simple swaps, too — so easy to customize! ; ) Thanks so much for sharing! XO
10 stars, if I could!
I made this recipe 2 weeks ago and it was SO quick and easy! I had no idea what to expect because I had never just tossed uncooked noodles into.. anything before so I was shocked that it actually turned out so perfect! I love this meal is so nutritious and it was a huge win with the hubby, 2 year old and 9 month old! It has been requested to be on the menu again ASAP!
Side note…. I did not have ground chicken on hand, and since I was pregnant with my first I cannot do ground turkey. So I did use ground beef. I will try the chicken sometime!
Aw, yay! So glad the whole family enjoyed this one!! It’s a fav over here too. 🙂 And totally okay to sub in beef – I do that often also, just whatever we have on hand! Thank you Katie!
This recipe is one of my go-tos when we have guests over for dinner in the winter. It is so easy to throw together ahead of time and always comes out amazing. The flavor is incredible! Way better than your average lasagna.
Awww, thank you Mickala!! That makes my heart happy that you share this meal with guests. So glad you all love it. 🙂