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cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. Remove the cover, sprinkle the chips over the casserole, re-cover, and cook for an additional 30 minutes.

serve from the slow cooker set on warm.

serves 6–8

* * *

tuna savvy

I find that water-packed tuna is bland, and although it may have a bit less fat, it doesn’t have much flavor. Buy the oil-packed solid albacore—you’ll be glad you did.

Lasagna alla Bolognese

Lasagna can seem like a big production, but it’s really just a few components made ahead of time and then assembled. This lasagna can be put together and frozen in the slow-cooker insert until firm and then stored in a zipper-top plastic bag in the freezer for up to three months.

The Bolognese sauce can be homemade in the slow cooker or on the stovetop. This lasagna isn’t the traditional all-American version with ricotta cheese; it’s a lighter version that has creamy béchamel sauce and fresh mozzarella layered between delicate no-boil lasagna noodles.

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1½ cups chicken broth

1½ cups milk

2½ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

6 cups Bolognese Sauce or Mom’s Sunday Sauce

One 9-ounce box no-boil lasagna noodles

1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into ½-inch slices

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Gradually add the broth and milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly to make a béchamel sauce.

remove from the heat and stir in 1½ cups of the Parmigiano. Spoon some of the bolognese sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker, covering the bottom of the pan. Top with a layer of noodles (depending on the cooker, you may have to cut the noodles down to size). Spoon a layer of the béchamel sauce over the noodles and top with some of the mozzarella. Continue layering the bolognese sauce, noodles, béchamel sauce, and mozzarella in this order, ending with the bolognese sauce.

sprinkle the remaining 1 cup Parmigiano over the lasagna. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours, until the lasagna is bubbling. Remove the cover and cook for an additional 45 minutes.

serve from the cooker set on warm.

serves 8

Pecorino Romano Lasagna

Pecorino romano is a sheep’s milk cheese that is sometimes studded with peppercorns or truffles. The peppercorn variety works well in this white lasagna flavored with mushrooms, spinach, and ham.

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

¼ cup finely chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

One 16-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

1 pound cremini or white mushrooms, sliced

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2½ cups milk

¼ cup dry white wine or vermouth

3 cups finely grated pecorino romano cheese, plus 1 cup crumbled into pea-sized pieces

One 9-ounce box no-boil lasagna noodles

4 ounces black forest ham, cut into julienne strips

coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.

melt half the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms begin to turn golden and the spinach is dry, 5 to 7 minutes.

remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking constantly. Add the milk and bring the sauce to a boil. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the wine and finely grated pecorino.

spoon one-quarter of the sauce on the bottom of the slowcooker insert. Top with a layer of noodles, cutting them