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| Now you too can have lasagna on a weeknight AND it's delicious! =] |
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My husband loves lasagna and I've always hated making it. Cooking the noodles, making sure I made enough sauce, LAYERING IT RIGHT... Don't get me wrong, I love it, but I usually just got a Stouffer's from Wal-Mart and that was that and it was the lazy way out.
Until I got my monthly Betty Crocker email and got this recipe for Slow Cooker Lasagna. I love using my crock pot, especially since I got a new one as a bridal shower gift last year, and I'm always looking for different recipes to utilize it. The original recipe is good, but I tweaked it and now I think it tastes even better!
Here's how I throw this awesome lasagna together:
Get all of your ingredients together. My favorite part of this recipe is the fact that you don't have to cook the noodles first! Yay!!
Mix together your beef and/or Italian sausage with the sauce and seasonings. I used three different kinds of Hunts Pasta Sauce this time, gives it a great flavor!
Next, in another large bowl, mix together your cheeses.
Now we begin the layering process. Start out by spooning 1/4th of the sauce mixture into the bottom of the crock pot.
The next layer is the noodles. Place the UNCOOKED lasagna noodles on top of the sauce mixture. You can break the noodles up to make them fit completely over the sauce.
Add 1/3 of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles. It's rather thick and difficult to spread out, so I used a rubber spatula which made it a little easier. I found it best to put the amount of cheese mixture down first and then spread it out.
Now you just have to repeat these layers, ending with sauce. It's usually 3 layers. Sometimes I make a little more sauce and use more cheese so I can squeeze a 4th in there.
Now it's time to pop on the lid and let this cook for 4 hours on High heat setting or 6-8 hours on Low heat setting. I usually set mine to High because I inevitably get food going much later than I intend to! I also say 6-8 hours because most crock pot's vary for heat settings, but my Mother has made this with her crock pot on High and it was done in about 4 hours too, so just keep an eye on it around the 4 hour mark if using High heat setting.
About 20 minutes before your time is up, add the remainder of your shredded cheese on top so it can get nice and gooey-melty on the top!
Now it's time to let this cool for about 15 minutes so it can set. I take the well out of the crock pot and set it on the stove so it cools just a little quicker. This allows the lasagna to set so it's not SOUP lasagna when you try to serve it. This gives you time to get some veggies and crusty bread ready to go with your delicious lasagna!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do, and find it very easy to prepare.
Here's the recipe card, feel free to save and print for your recipe box! =]
Bon Appetit!
