All Natural Muscle: Healthy Crab & Spinach Lasagna

Healthy Crab & Spinach Lasagna

I was checking out Chad Jackson’s and Hunter Labrada’s Facebook page and it got me thinking that I should post another crockpot recipe. I’ve also had several requests for additional entree recipes. Well, here is an additional crockpot recipe!

This recipe was inspired from many different sources. Basically, I wanted to do a lasagna. But I couldn’t use beef or pork (my girlfriend is a pescatarian). So, I thought about how I could make a good… I mean REALLY GOOD crockpot lasagna with seafood. And this is what I came up with. And modesty aside, it is REALLY GOOD!

This lasagna has so many of my favorite things: cheese, crab, lasagna noodles, more cheese, alfredo sauce, more cheese. It’s white cheese overload! But the best part is the macros. Each slice is the nutritional equivalent of a [large] protein bar, except this stuff has cheese, crab and spinach in it too!

In order to get the nutrition info where I wanted it, I had to use some reduced fat ingredients. But I shied away from nonfat ingredients. Why? Because with the possible exception of cream cheese, nonfat alternatives sacrifice both taste and texture. Besides, a little fat is not so bad. And with less than 10g fat per serving, we really are talking about a little fat.

I also didn’t use a lot of additional seasoning. I considered using garlic salt. However, the

Line the bottom with Alfredo

amount of cheese, crab and alfredo sauce in the recipe, eliminated the need for much additional salt. And the spinach gave it a really nice flavor that I think would have been compromised with too much additional flavoring.

So what made this work? I think the combination of cheeses and cream really set this recipe on fire. Instead of cottage cheese or straight ricotta, I used a combination of ricotta, sour cream, and alfredo sauce. It adds just the right amount of salt, liquid and cheesiness to create a great lasagna. The meatiness of the mushrooms and the flavor of the spinach further contributed to this awesome entree.

So, there you go: an unseasoned healthy spinach & crab crockpot lasagna that’s simple to make and that's ridiculously creamy (just how I like it).

Ingredients

Layer the filling on top of the noodles

8oz Crab Claw Meat
10oz Chopped Spinach
1tbsp Garlic Powder
4oz Chopped Baby Bella Mushrooms
4oz Reduced Fat Ricotta Cheese
4oz Reduced Fat Sour Cream
1cup Light Alfredo Sauce
25g Reduced Fat Parmesan Cheese
1cup 2% Mozzarella Cheese
6 Lasagna Noodles

Directions

Spray the inside of the crockpot with nonfat cooking spray.

Mozzarella cheese on top
Combine crab meat, spinach, mushrooms, ricotta cheese, 1/4cup alfredo sauce, and sour cream in a bowl and mix until well integrated.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Line the bottom of the crockpot with 1/4cup alfredo sauce.
Cover the bottom of the crockpot with lasagna noodles (broken to fit).
Put the crab, spinach and cheese mixture in the bowl on top of the noodles (about 1-inch thick).
Sprinkle Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top.
Add about 1/8 cup Alfredo on top.
Repeat steps 4-7.
Place noodles on the top.
Cover noodles with about 1/4 cup Alfredo.
Sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top.
Cook in the crockpot on low for 2-3hrs.