Slow Cooker Not Lasanga Lasanga

I just love using my crock pot (also known as a slow cooker) for weekday dinners.  There is nothing like being able to put a meal together in the morning and then forget about it till it’s time to eat!

Lasagna is a great meal to make in the crock pot.  Traditionally this Italian style dish takes a while to make-there is the boiling of noodles, the pain of putting it together, and then a long bake time.  The crock pot not only removes the worry of needing to be home an hour before dinner time to get it in the oven, but you can use dry noodles and completely eliminate a step!

• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
• 1 large jar spaghetti sauce (such as Ragu in the 1 lb. 10 ounce jar)
• 1 package (8 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles
• 16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 lb. ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan/Romano cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Brown the beef, onion, and garlic in a little oil in a frying pan. Drain off any grease.

Add the spaghetti sauce into the browned meat mixture. Mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, milk, and egg. Beat until thoroughly mixed and smooth. Then mix in the mozzarella cheese and the grated cheese, so that all the cheeses are combined.

Grease the slow cooker/Crock Pot with some vegetable shortening on the bottom and sides.

Put about 1/4 of the meat and sauce mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker/Crock Pot. Put a layer of noodles on top of that (break or cut them if needed). Put about 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of that. Then repeat with sauce, noodles, cheese for another 2 layers. Top with meat sauce. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until noodles are tender.