and for those of you who should be!!! I love crock pot meals this time of the year! What is better than doing all the work ahead of time, then walking in your house to the smell of beef-vegetable stew, roast and potatoes, chicken and rice, or whatever else?! Mmmmmm-mmmm. 

So, I’m curious to see if anyone likes this post. I love to cook, and I love to try out new recipes. I tried a new recipe this week and loved it, so I thought I’d share it with you. Please let me know if you try it!! Here’s the recipe:

Crockpot Lasagna

        1 lb. uncooked lean ground beef or ground turkey  

       1 small onion, chopped                                                                                                                              

       1 medium garlic clove, minced                                                                                                                    

       28 oz canned crushed tomatoes (I used the Italian kind.)                                                                           

      15 oz canned tomato sauce                                                                                                                          

      1 tsp table salt                                                                                                                                              

      1 tsp dried oregano                                                                                                                                       

      1/2 tsp dried basil                                                                                                                                        

      1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, or to taste                                                                                                        

      1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese                                                                                                                    

      1 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided                                                                        

      6 dry lasagna noodles, uncooked                                                                                                                  

     1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, strong-flavored like Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano

Instructions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion, garlic, and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up meat. Cook about 5-7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Then simmer for 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with 1/2 of ricotta mixture. Repeat this entire layering again, then finish off the top with the remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cover; turn off heat and season to taste, if needed. 

In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese (I used a little more cheese here than the recipe calls for!); sprinkle over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up – about 10 minutes. 

Hints: To boost your vegetable intake, add a can of zucchini in tomato sauce to the meat mixture. You could also add 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms to the beef mixture.

Just a tip – I cooked mine for just a little over 4 hours, and it was perfect. I felt like it would have overcooked in 6 hours. It would also be an easy recipe to double – there was plenty of room left in my crockpot.

Enjoy!! -Steph