Crock-Pot Lasagna

Tonight on Facebook, I posted this:

Crock-Pot Lasagna



Well apparently I posted it right around dinner time because before I knew it there were like a thousand requests for the recipe (ok, just 3 or 4 but I think more wanted to say it, they just couldn't because they were wiping the saliva off thier computer screens!).

So for all my loyal Facebook friends, this is for you. A recipe I concocted all by myself, with a little help from Jessica Steinfeld. Ok, so basically it is her recipe but I added meat so you can kinda say its my recipe. Note to self... might be a little smarter than best selling cookbook author. 

Anywho... here it is

(with my version)!

Ingredients:

3 cans (14.4 oz) crushed tomatoes

(I didn't have crushed so I threw some diced ones in my NINJA and crushed those puppies up in no time!)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

(I use squeeze garlic because it is the greatest invention EVER!)

2 T dried oregano

(didn't add it)

1/2 tsp salt

(didn't add it)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

(nope didn't add this one either)

2 containers (15 oz) fresh ricotta

(I don't know about fresh, I mean I bought it at the grocery store Sunday so it was still "good".)

2 cups grated mozzarella

(1 bag of Kraft with a 2 in the corner works too!)

1/4 cup grated parmesan

(NO GREEN CAN for this one people!)

12 lasagna noodles

(whatever was in the damn box)

5 oz baby spinach

(Frozen bag of spinach from store worked just fine.)

AND

(1 lb of cooked ground beef)<-- This wasn't in the original recipe but my kids like meat!

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, salt, red pepper and some black pepper.

In another bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella and Parmesan.

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your crock-pot. Top with 3 noodles, breaking to fit if necessary.

(Yes it is necessary to break them unless you happen to have a rectangle crock-pot! Also, don't worry with using 3. I think I used 5 or 6. Laid one in the middle and broke up a few around it, then did it again.)

Spread about 1 cup of the sauce over the noodles and layer with 2 cups spinach and 1 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture.

(Yeah so pour some sauce on top then sprinkle some of that frozen spinach around. Put some of that cheese mixture on top of the spinach followed by some meat.)

Repeat twice more with the noodles, sauce, spinach & cheese mixture.

(Keep doing it until you run out of sauce, spinach, cheese mixture and beef! I think I got 3 full layers!)

Top with the remaining 3 noodles, sauce and 1 cup mozzarella.

(I hope you remembered to save some extra noodles for the top, otherwise it is going to get messy or you are going to be grabbin' for another box of noodles. I think I had like 5 noodles left so I just used them all. I also added a little parmesan cheese to the top after the mozzarella.)

Cook on low, covered for 3 1/2 hours.

YOU'RE WELCOME!!