RECIPE WEDNESDAY - Crockpot Lasagna

I love lasagna... and right now, pasta in just about any form is my go-to meal. Easy to eat even if I'm not wearing my dentures.

Hi, My name is Kelly and I am a work a holic. There are some mornings that once I get started, I don't think about my teeth. I don't need them for oatmeal and by mid-afternoon if I do put my teeth in, then the adhesive is more difficult to remove at bedtime. Some days the trip isn't worth the hassle. I'd rather just work and eat soft stuff.

I started with THIS recipe from my crockpot pinterest board. All those layers were just drool-worthy in my opinion. With Bob gone, this was the perfect time for me to try the recipe as is - with the spinach. Bob doesn't 'graze' as he calls it. No green/ grassy vegies except for canned peas and green beans.

Here were the ingredients:

Draining the spinach was a 2-step process to insure I got as much of the moisture out as possible. The less moisture, the more solid the lasagna.  

First I drained it in the colander:

I squeezed it into a firm ball then let it rest while I pulled everything else together. Then I squeezed it again. You would not believe how much more juice came out of the second squeeze. 

Next, I mixed up the cheesey goodness:

I used cottage cheese rather than the ricotta they called for. Ricotta is too dry for my preference. I bought 1% milk fat. When I tried to drain it, there wasn't anything to drain. 

Then the layering began. Though I did spray the inside of the crock pot for good measure with butter-flavored olive oil.

Sauce, noodles, sauce, filling, noodles, sauce... 

Another addition I made was on top of the first layer of cheese mixture, I added the leftover mozzarella chunks from the stuffed meatballs I made earlier in the week. 

All layered:

Covered and cooked on low for about 5 hours. Then I put a layer of shredded mozzarella on top, covered and cooked another 10 minutes. Then I turned the crock pot off and just let it set for about 20 minutes before cutting into the center and coming out with this:

This recipe is a keeper. One of the best crock pot recipes I've made. I might just have to do a meaty version for my construction crew. I'm sure they'd love it!

What's on your plate?