Crockpot Lasagna
In June of 1986, Ferris Bueller stated “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” As a teenager, I couldn’t agree more. Navigating high school was a monumental task, and before you knew it, four years had come and gone. That’s why you had to take a break: maybe stay out past curfew, unwind at a party, jam out to some tunes on the Walkman, or veg out watching music videos on MTV.
But as an adult, I believe that Ferris was full of crap. Life isn’t fast. Life moves at warp speed. If you have kids, you don’t even have time to stop. You are too busy fixing lunches, running carpool, running errands, going to karate, swimming, ballet, jazz, tap, music lessons, chess lessons, the doctor, the dentist, the orthodontist, and (if you can find the time) a good therapist. In those rare moments alone, often times your Walkman has run out of batteries, you are too tired to party, and MTV doesn’t even have music videos anymore.
Well, my next delicious vegan recipe for CROCKPOT LASAGNA was solely designed to give you a few spare moments in the evening. Like my Beans on Toast and Crockpot Lentil recipes, this dish is perfect for those nights when you don’t want to cook. Just throw everything into the slow cooker and four hours later dinner is ready. I do make my own sauce in this recipe, but if you want a few more minutes, use your favorite pre-made sauce. I don’t judge. While you won’t be able to stop and look around, this recipe will let you slow down enough to enjoy a glass of wine and your favorite mixed tape.
Ingredients
- 2 Pints Cherry Tomatoes
- 1 Med Onion (sliced)
- 1 Head of Garlic
- 15 oz Can of Chickpeas (rinsed & drained)
- 1 Tbs Dried Oregano
- 6-8 Fresh Basil Leaves
- ½ Cup Water
- 2 12oz Boxes of Silken Tofu
- 2 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Tbs Rice Parmesan (optional)
- 2 Tbs Fresh Parsley (minced)
- 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
- Salt & Pepper to your taste
- 16oz Package of Faux Beef Crumbles
- 10oz Box of Lasagna Noodles
Instructions
If you are going the pre-maid sauce route, skip this step. Just make sure you have about 8 cups of sauce (approximately 64 oz.). Otherwise, peel and cut your onion into ¼ inch slices. Place these along with the tomatoes on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Roast them in the preheated 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until the vegetables are nicely browned. While the veggies roast, wrap your garlic head and about a tablespoon of liquid tightly in foil. Roast this for the same amount of time. You can do this the night before to save time in the morning. Place the roasted veggies, garlic, chickpeas, herbs, and water into a high speed blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. You might need to add a bit more water to get a nice sauce-like consistency.
For the tofu, put it into a food processor along with the yeast, oregano, and parmesan. Pulse until everything is well combined and creamy (think cream cheese consistency). Scrape the tofu into a mixing bowl and fold in your minced parsley. You can throw the parsley into the food processor with the tofu; however, your tofu will turn slightly green. It will still eat good, but picky eaters might squawk at the color. Now you are ready to assemble.
Alternating in layers, start with a thick layer of sauce in the bottom of your crockpot. Next add a layer of uncooked noodles (you might need to break them to fit). Add the crumbles, more noodles, another layer of sauce, more noodles, your tofu mix, more noodles, and top with the remaining sauce. Cook on low heat for four hours.
Notes
Most of the time in this recipe is spent in the crockpot.
Serve with a nice green salad or green veggie of choice, and dinner is complete. You still have to tackle the whole bed-time thing, but at least you got a chance to catch your breath at dinner. You can’t stop, but I hope this recipe gave you time to enjoy that glass of wine. May your Walkman never run out of batteries and may your favorite mixed tape never get tangled. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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