Lazy Mom’s Lasagna

I am always looking for a quicker way to make a wholesome, nutritious home-cooked meal.  Today’s lasagna was easy and fun to make!  And I didn’t end up with spills on the bottom of my oven, either!  Yay!

Lazy Mom’s Lasagna

Put into your crockpot:

• 1 -2 lbs. of very lean hamburger, depending on how meaty you like it.
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Break up the hamburger and stir the ingredients together.  Turn the crockpot on high, put the lid on, and let it cook for an hour, more or less, until hamburger is cooked through.

Add:

• 3  (8 oz.) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (16 oz.) can whole tomatoes in juice, cut with a knife while in the can
• 1  (6 oz.) tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• optional:  parsley, dried kale or other greens, 1 cup chopped fresh spinach, etc.

I like to add a lot of nutrition-adding stuff to my sauces, since it is a great way to disguise things kids don’t like, such as kale, swiss chard, mushrooms, etc.  I listed those as optional, but sneak in whatever you like.

Stir the sauce together and remove most of it from the crockpot, leaving 1/2 cup or so in the bottom of the pot.

Ready to assemble?  You’ll need:

• 1 lb. whole grain lasagna noodles, uncooked
• 24 oz. cottage cheese
• 1 to 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, depending on how cheesy you like it

Lay down a layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce in the crockpot.  Overlap them—it’s fine. I use whole wheat lasagna noodles.  Break them to fit your crockpot.  Top with cottage cheese blobs, and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top.  Spoon sauce on top. Now lay down the next layer of noodles.  Then cottage cheese, then mozzarella and sauce.  End with the mozzarella cheese on top.

Important part:  pour 3/4 cup of water around the inside edges of the crockpot.

Put on the lid and cook on high for about 2 hours, or low for about 4-5 hours.  I like “low” because there is less risk of overcooking the noodles, but if it is almost time for dinner, you better go with the “high” setting.  Test the noodles partway through the cooking time to get them just right.

Easy!  Makes your house smell wonderful all day long.  Ready anytime.  No stress.  Only one crockpot, a spoon and a bowl to wash. Dinner’s ready! Yay!