Crock Pot Lasagna

I forgot to take a photo, so here is a photo from the recipe I found on Pinterest that I modified. Click the pic to see the original recipe.

Once I acclimated to life in college at Western Carolina University in the fall of 1991, I didn’t make many trips home to Wilkes County, but when I did, my mother would always ask me what I wanted for dinner.  I can remember getting in my car for that 3+ hour drive in a world before cell phones and anticipating the amazing meal waiting.  I usually asked for Chicken Casserole or Lasagna.  My mother makes the most amazing lasagna!  I can replicate it, but it is labor intensive!

(I just looked and can’t believe I have not blogged about mom’s lasagna.  That’s an oversight I am going to have to rectify soon!)

Working during the week until 5 or 6 does not allow me the chance to make my mom’s lasagna, so I thought I would try a crock pot lasagna recipe just to see if it could serve as a substitute when I didn’t have time for the real thing.  The verdict:  when you don’t have a great deal of time, this lasagna recipe a hearty and tasty substitute, but don’t be fooled – it is in no way the caliber of my mother’s amazing Italian dish.  🙂

From start to finish, this recipe will take approximately 4 hours 15 minutes.

Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1 8oz Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce
1 8oz Basil and Oregano Tomato Sauce
1 15oz Tomato Sauce
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced onion
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
8 oz pkg. lasagna noodles, uncooked
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups Ricotta cheese

Directions
Spray the inside of the crock-pot with cooking spray.
Brown the ground beef.
Stir the tomato sauces, garlic, onion, seasonings, pepper, and salt with the ground beef.
Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the crock-pot.
Arrange 1/3 of the uncooked noodles over the sauce.
Combine the cheeses in a bowl.
Spoon 1/3 of the cheese mixture over the noodles.
Repeat these layers twice.
Top with remaining sauce.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Let the lasagna remain in the crock-pot with the lid off for 10 minutes before serving.