Crock Pot Lasagna

This is my version of crockpot lasagna. Lasagna is great made in the crockpot - it turns out so moist. You can switch up this recipe by using Italian sausage instead of ground beef or ricotta in the place of the cottage cheese, but I like it this way because it's "cheap and cheerful", though I think I might add a little parsley to the cottage cheese next time. I'll probably be making this again soon because I have the other half of the lasagna noodles from the package to use up and my family really liked it. I served it with a Caesar salad and strawberries.


Crock Pot Lasagna

1 lb ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 plum/roma tomatoes, chopped (optional - I like it for texture)
29 oz tomato sauce
2-3 teaspoons Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
8 oz regular lasagna noodles (about 10 dry noodles from a 16 oz pkg)
2 cups shredded mozzarella
24 oz container 4% small curd cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated/shredded parmesan

Spray the inside of your crockpot with non-stick cooking spray.

Brown ground beef with onion and cook until browned. Drain off fat. Add garlic and chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes begin to break up. Add tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste. Heat to a boil and remove from heat.

Spread 1 1/2 cups of the meat sauce into the bottom of  your crockpot. Arrange 1/3 of the noodles over the sauce, breaking up noodles to fit them in. Spread 1/3 of the cottage cheese over the noodles and sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella over the cottage cheese. Top the cheeses with another 1 1/2 cups of sauce. Repeat this layering 2 more times ending with remaining sauce. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella over sauce and then sprinkle with 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Set crockpot to low and cook for 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Turn off crockpot, remove lid, and allow lasagna to stand for 10-20 minutes before serving.

This is what it looks like all ready to go in the crockpot.