recipe: crockpot lasagna

Originally, I thought about making this a weekly thing, maybe call it ‘Recipe Sunday’ or ‘Recipe Tuesday’ or whatever day I decided. But… I realized that a) I’d never be able to stick to that and b) I’d never be able to stick to that. So, instead, I’ll plan on posting recipes when I think of it! How’s that sound? :) I’ll even include pictures when I can!

After about 2 years of being extremely overworked with a full-time job plus my business, I am actually finding enjoyment in the kitchen. Since quitting my job this summer, I’ve been cooking much more regularly and trying out different recipes- some that I’ve had in my possession for a few years but never tried! I try to make one new thing each week, and we talk about what we could do to make it better or different or whatever.

I’ve made this particular recipe a few times, each time changing some things here and there. Really you can do whatever you want with it- that’s the beauty of Italian food! There’s a lot of wiggle room for adding your own ingredients without being afraid of screwing it up. And I like this recipe better than ‘traditional’ lasagna because it’s super easy to prepare and I can just turn on the crockpot and forget about it till dinner time.

Crockpot Lasagna

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Crockpot Lasagna

Ingredients:
1lb ground beef (or turkey, if you prefer)
uncooked lasagna noodles
1 large can crushed tomatoes, chunky style
1 small can tomato sauce with Italian spices
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, minced (or the stuff from a jar, like I use!)
1 small container of ricotta cheese
8 oz mozzarella cheese
italian seasoning (optional)

Directions
1. Brown the meat in a skillet. You can add some salt and pepper at this stage if you’d like (I do!) Drain any grease after the meat is cooked.
2. In a saucepan, saute onions, peppers, and garlic in 1-2 tbsp olive oil. When the peppers and onions are soft, add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix well. (NOTE: You can also just use a can of whatever spaghetti sauce you like and skip Step 2 altogether. But I love the fresh tomato taste of the crushed tomatoes!)
3. In a lightly greased crockpot, layer the bottom with a few lasagna noodles (you will need to break them into large pieces to fit) Add a bit of water (1/4 cup or less) Layer with the meat (you can sprinkle some italian seasoning into this layer if you want), some sauce, and some ricotta and mozzarella cheese.
4. Repeat the layers again (including the water) until you run out of stuff :)
5. Cook on low 4-5 hours, checking it now and then to make sure the noodles aren’t getting too dried out (if they are, just add a bit more water to the top and sides to moisten all the layers)
6. Cut into squares and serve with garlic bread and/or a nice tossed salad!

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