One-Pot Wonder: Slow-Cooker Lasagna Soup

Everyone loves lasagna, right? I mean, with noodles, hearty meat sauce and hot bubbling cheese stretching for miles—what's not to love? All the work that goes into it, of course! Cooking the noodles, browning the beef, making the sauce, layering everything in the pan, making sure it gets browned just right…it's just not something you'd want to do every day, busy mom or not.

Luckily, with this recipe in your arsenal, you don't have to! This slow-cooker soup allows you to enjoy all the deliciousness of lasagna, minus the hassle. Load up the slow cooker in the morning, and 20 minutes before dinnertime, add the last two ingredients (more on that below) and boom, dinner is done. You've got just enough time to set the table and maybe enjoy a nice glass of wine before your soup is ready to serve. Real lasagna flavor without all the work, now that's something even the cook can love.

To start, brown the ground beef and onion together and drain off the grease. Place in a 6-quart slow cooker.

Add in garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, Progresso beef broth, mushrooms, basil, parsley, broth, water and salt and pepper to the slow cooker. (See recipe below for all the details!) Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours.

When about 30 minutes of cooking time are left, add in your uncooked pasta and zucchini, recover and continue cooking until time is up.

Top with optional shredded cheese and serve with crusty bread and crisp green side salad.