Crock Pot Lasagna

I have been intending to make lasagna all week long but just haven't been able to get to it. Well, today I decided to try a new recipe from the cookbook that I won at bunco and made it in the crock pot. I was a little unsure because my previous knowledge of crock pot cooking suggested not using dairy products like cottage cheese, cheese, sour cream, etc. However, I just needed to get something put together for dinner tonight so I followed the recipe. I also wondered if the pasta would be done in 4 hours and with only 1/4 cup water and the recipes states NOT to go over 5 hours of cooking.

It smelled wonderful by about hour 2, nice a bubbly and looking like . . . lasagna.



12 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 jar (28 oz) spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup water
1 carton (16 oz) cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Break noodles in half. Place half of the noodles in bottom of greased 4-quart slow cooker. Sitr Italian seasoning into meat and spread half over the noodles already in slow cooker. Then layer half of the sauce and water, half of cottage cheese, and half of mozzarella cheese over beef. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low heat 4-5 hours. Do not cook more than 5 hours.

My own adjustments

• I used 8 noodles, that's what I normally use when I make it because my family likes less pasta, more sauce.
  
• I only used about 1/2 pound of beef
  
• I quickly made my own spaghetti sauce because I didn't have a jar on hand and I also just added the beef to the sauce like I do with regular lasagna.
  
• Layered noodles, cottage cheese, mozz cheese, sauce . . . twice, ending with sauce