Ingredients
- 1 pound 80/20 ground beef
- 1 pound Italian bulk sausage (hot or mild, no casing)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced (about ½ a large onion)
- 1 medium green pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 (14 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 6 cups chicken stock or broth
- 3 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 10–12 lasagna noodles, broken into small bite-sized pieces
- Cheese Topping:
- 8 oz ricotta cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon basil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and sausage. Cook until browned. Season with salt and pepper. Drain excess fat and set aside.
- In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add olive oil, then diced onion. Sauté for 3 minutes until soft.
- Add green pepper and cook for another 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from heat.
- Transfer cooked meat, onions, peppers, and garlic to a 6–7 qt crockpot.
- Add diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or HIGH for 3 hours.
- After initial cooking time, stir in broken lasagna noodles. Cover and cook on HIGH for an additional 30–40 minutes, stirring often.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper to make the cheese topping.
- Serve soup warm in bowls topped with a generous scoop of the cheese mixture. Garnish with fresh basil if desired.
Notes
- Break lasagna noodles into smaller pieces than you think—they expand during cooking.
- Stir the soup often after adding pasta to prevent sticking.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Cheese topping can be made ahead and stored separately in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Halal
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 1280mg
- Fat: 32g
- Saturated Fat: 13g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
