Super Easy CrockPot Lasagna

Day 27.

Lasagna is a family-favorite meal around here. I probably make it about once a month, but have never attempted to make it in the crockpot before the other day.

This works. It really, really works. You can use regular noodles and they will soften nicely.

There is still work to do if you want to add meat---you'll need to brown hamburger or turkey meat, and if you want some veggies or hardboiled eggs snuck in, you'll need to chop them up.

But!

You can do it all in the morning while you are still awake and have coffee in your system, click on the dishwasher and then be done in the kitchen for the whole. entire. day.

I love that part.

If you are not a morning person, assemble it the night before (minus the 1/4 cup of water--add that before cooking) while you are watching Leno. Or Letterman. Or Colbert.

and hey, do you spell it lasagna or lasagne? I like it with an 'A' better, but the box of Tinkyada noodles (very lovely noodles) spells it with an 'E.'

The Ingredients:

don't freak out. I got all Deceptively Delicious and snuck in a bunch of veggies. You can be as plain as you'd like; there are no rules here.

--box of regular lasagna noodles

--jar of pasta sauce

--ricotta cheese

--package of shredded Italian cheese

--mushrooms

--chopped veggies (I used broccoli and cauliflower)

--mushrooms

--spinach

--hardboiled eggs

--meat (optional)-- I happened to use 1/2 pound of hamburger meat.

--spices you use normally when you brown ground meat (I chose onion flakes and Magic Dust)

--1/4 cup water

The Directions:

--brown meat with chosen spices in large skillet

--pour in entire jar of pasta sauce (save jar, don't rinse or throw away!)

--simmer on low for a few minutes

--put a ladle-full of sauce mixture into the bottom of your crockpot.

--top with a layer of dried lasagna noodles. You'll have to break them to fit, and little pieces will fly all over the place, much to the delight of small children and pets.

and scooba.

--smear ricotta cheese on top of lasagna noodles
--layer veggies, mushrooms, eggs and spinach on top of the ricotta cheese
--add a handful of the shredded cheese
--ladle on some more of the meat sauce
--top with more dry noodles and repeat layers until crock is to desired capacity.

--put the 1/4 cup of water into your empty pasta jar and shake. Pour tomatoey juice over the whole pile of food.

--cover and cook on low for 8 hours, high for 4.
--Check noodles an hour before serving, and push the top ones down into the liquid if they are getting too hard or are curling up.