Foodie....Monday?

I've been doing more cooking lately {when I'm not completely wiped out and laying on the couch}, and every so often  I've found some pretty good new recipes.  When I used to post my Foodie Friday recipes, it was always something I had made at least once before so I knew how it would turn out.  You're in for a treat today though because I made something so yummy last night that I just couldn't wait until I make it again to share!

In February, I was sitting in the waiting room having my oil changed and browsed through a Woman's Day magazine. Not my usual reading material, but I had already checked email, played on Facebook, and looked at all my latest twitter posts with no end in sight for my car.  However, I hit the jackpot!  In the back of the magazine, I found a section of crockpot recipes.  I can handle that kind of cooking even when I AM laid up on the couch!  I've made 2 recipes, and both were excellent, so I thought I'd share one with you tonight.  

Crockpot Lasagna 

1 15oz container part-skim ricotta

1/4 cup grated parmesan

8oz part-skim mozzarella, grated

Salt and pepper

2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped 

3/4 lb lean ground beef, cooked 

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 26oz jar marina sauce 

12 dry lasagna noodles (from 1-lb box) 

1. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, 1 cup of the mozzarella, and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper; fold in spinach. 
2.  In a 5- to 6- qt slow cooker, combine the cooked beef, garlic, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Transfer half of meat mixture to small bowl.  Add 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce to the slow cooker and mix into the meat; spread the meat evening on the bottom of the slow cooker. 
3. Top with a layer of the noodles, breaking them to fit as necessary.  Spread 1/3 of the remaining sauce (3/4 cup) over the noodles and dollop with 1/3 of the ricotta mixture (1 cup) and half the remaining meat; repeat.  
4. Top with a layer of noodles, the remaining sauce and remaining ricotta mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and cook, covered, on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.  

It does sound like a lot of work, but it went really fast.  It took about 20 minutes to prepare plus the 2 hours to cook, and in the end we loved it!  Enjoy!