Healthier Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

Healthier Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

PREP:15 MINS

COOK:3 HOURS 15 MINS

TOTAL:3 HOURS 30 MINS

This Slow Cooker Baked Ziti is made with ground turkey and whole wheat pasta. The pasta cooks right in the slow cooker so it soaks up the delicious flavor of the sauce!

INGREDIENTS:

·         1 pound lean ground turkey

·         1 small onion, chopped

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

·         15 ounce can diced tomatoes

·         1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning

·         1 teaspoon dried oregano

·         ½ teaspoon dried basil

·         ½ teaspoon salt

·         ¼ teaspoon pepper

·         2 ½ cups water

·         12 ounces whole wheat penne or ziti pasta

·         1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1.     Lightly spray a large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium high heat. Add the turkey and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking until turkey is cooked through.

2.     Transfer turkey mixture to slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, Italian seasoning, basil, salt, pepper and water. Stir.

3.     Cover and cook on high setting for about 3 hours or low setting for about 6 hours.

4.     Stir in pasta. Continue cooking on high setting for 12-25 minutes. Pasta cook time will vary by slow cooker, so begin checking it at 12 minutes to see if pasta is done, stirring it once to make sure pasta cooks evenly. If you’ve had your slow cooker on the low setting, it will take longer to cook the pasta when you switch to the high setting.

5.     Turn off slow cooker.

6.     Stir 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella into the slow cooker and sprinkle the remaining ½ cup on top. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes until cheese on top is melted.

Source  https://kristineskitchenblog.com

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