Slow Cooker Lasagna

 I am so excited to share this recipe with everyone. I made this last night so I could bring to lunch today and so happy I did. I have been craving lasagna for awhile now. This is PERFECT!! Must TRY! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Ingredients

 1 pound(s) uncooked 93% lean ground beef   

 1 small uncooked onion(s), chopped   

1 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced   

28 oz canned crushed tomatoes   

15 oz canned tomato sauce   

1 tsp table salt   

1 tsp dried oregano   

1/2 tsp dried basil   

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste   

1 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese   

1 1/2 cup(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided   

6 item(s) uncooked lasagna noodles, no-cook   

1/2 cup(s) shredded parmesan cheese, strong-flavored like Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano   

 

 

Instructions

•Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt, oregano, basil and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

 

•Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, stir together ricotta cheese and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

 

•Spoon 1/3 of beef mixture into a 5-quart slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over beef mixture; top with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat with another layer and finish with remaining 1/3 of beef mixture.

 

•Cover slow cooker and cook on low setting for 4 to 6 hours. Remove cover; turn off heat and season to taste, if desired.

 

•In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese; sprinkle over beef mixture. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes. Yields 1/6th of dish per serving.

 

Notes

•To boost your vegetable intake, add a can of zucchini in tomato sauce to the meat mixture. You can also add 2 cups of sliced shiitake mushrooms to the beef mixture.



ENJOY!

XOXO,
SJB
Independent Beachbody Coach

Crock Pot Ziti

Ingredients

 

•1 (1 lb. 7.8 oz.) jar marinara (no sugar added) look for sauce with the fewest ingredients.
•3 cups penne shells (whole grain, dry)
•2 cups fat free cottage cheese
•2 cups skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
•1 large zucchini (1/4” slices)
•1 tablespoon fresh oregano (finely chopped)
•1 tablespoon fresh basil (finely chopped)
•1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
1.In a large mixing bowl combine cottage cheese, mozzarella, oregano, basil and black pepper. In the Crock Pot, spoon 1/4 of marinara onto the bottom, add 1 cup penne shells, 1/3 of zucchini slices and top with 1 cup cheese mixture. Repeat until you have 3 layers. Top off with the remaining marinara and lastly, cheese.

2.Note: Keep penne shells and cheese away from the edges by about 1”. Pasta tends to get hard and cheese burns if allowed to touch the sides while cooking.

3.Cover and cook on low for approximately 2 hours or until penne noodles are Al Dente (firm but not hard). Not all crock pots cook the same so be sure that the penne is done before serving. The cook time is recommended based on the crock pot used when preparing this recipe. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.

4.Tip: If you prefer your ziti a little more on the thick side, allow to cook an additional 30 minutes to 1 hour.

5.  I added chicken to this meal by boiling 4 chicken breasts until just cooked and then cutting up into chunks and layering with the pasta.  That way I got my serving of protein.

Nutritional Content: (Makes 13 servings)

Serving Size: 3/4 cup Calories: 168 Total Fat: 8 g Saturated Fat: 4 g Trans Fat: 0 Cholesterol: 21 mg Sodium: 476 mg Carbohydrates: 25 g Sugars: 4 g Dietary Fiber: 2 g Protein: 15 g

 

ENJOY!!

 

XOXO,

SJBIndependent Beachbody Coach