Lasagna in the Crockpot! (#1)

My family is a pasta loving family. I on the other hand am very "plain Jane" with my pasta. I could be happy with al dente noodles with a little bit of butter and Parmesan cheese. :-) I will admit, I have a food phobia. I do not like my food to touch, and am very weird about mixtures. So, this year I have decided to venture out of my comfort zone. And since I am currently OBSESSED with my Crockpot, everything needs to be prepared in it. And did I mention, we are doing this adventure in a frugal manner. :-)

On to the Lasagna ala Crockpot.

1} I started with Oven-Ready lasagna noodles (Great Value brand - $1) Traditional Ragu Sauce (2 cans - $2) Ricotta cheese, sour cream and Mozzarella cheese (1 each - $6) and finally 1lb of ground beef ($3) - so other than LOVE, this meal cost - $12 and looks to feed the 5 of us at least TWICE. For those who don't have a calculator handy, that is $1.20 a serving. :-) Pretty good to me.

2} Combine the sour cream, Ricotta cheese and 1/2 bag of Mozzarella in a bowl, and place in fridge.
3} Brown the ground beef, drain the excess grease, add the 2 cans of Traditional Ragu and heat. Add the spices of your liking. MY advice is to prepare this like you would prepare your spaghetti sauce. I add the traditional Italian seasonings, and my oldest son, Malakai can't let me forget my  "secret ingredient" - sugar! Just a little. He loves it!
4} Start by adding a layer of the meat sauce to cover the bottom of your Crockpot. Then add the noodles. We like to break them into squares making them easier to place. Then the cheese mixture. Followed by meat, and noodle. Repeat this until pot is full, or until your liking. There are 5 of us, so we had a FULL pot. :-)
5} Cook on low 4 to 6 hours (depending on your Crockpot) To check if done, just see if the final layer of noodle is soft.
6} When soft place a generous layer of Mozzarella cheese and cover for about 10 minutes to melt.
Now, I was very surprised that my first attempt in the Crockpot was a success. And yes, you may be reading this and think - this is SIMPLE. Well, with a family of 5, a full time job, and all the ups and downs of life itself - Simple is kind of what this Mom strives for. And so, below is the photo. Kids couldn't wait, so please excuse the pieces gone! My goal in this blog is to plan 30 different meals that the WHOLE family with love. Wish me luck, this is #1 "Lasagna a la Crockpot"

Ta-Da!!!