Crockpot Lasagna

▢ 1½ lbs ground beef
▢ 2 tbsp Italian seasoning divided in half
▢ 24 ounce can roasted garlic herb spaghetti sauce
▢ 1 cup beef broth
▢ 2½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided (you’ll need a 16 ounce bag or 16 ounce block)
▢ 24 ouce small curd cottage cheese (you’ll need a 24 ounce tub)
▢ 1 large egg
▢ 12 lasagna noodles (NOT NO-BOIL) uncooked
▢ Fresh minced parsley optional garnish

In a large deep skillet over medium high heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink.
Drain any excess grease and then add the spaghetti sauce, beef broth, and 1 Tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the skillet and stir until everything is well mixed.
Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
In the meantime, combine 1 ½ cups of the divided mozzarella cheese, small curd cottage cheese, 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning, and large egg together in a bowl. Stir everything together well.
Spray the bottoms and sides of your crockpot and begin layering.
Spread a layer of 1 cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of the crockpot.
Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top of meat sauce. Fit the crock pot by breaking two lasagna noodles and leave one unbroken lasagna noodle for the middle layer. This will depend on the shape of your crockpot.
Spread 1 cup of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles.
Repeat the layering until everything is used. You should have enough for four sets of layers.
Top the last layer of noodles with the remaining mozzarella cheese.
Cover and cook on low for 3-5 hours or until the noodles absorb the liquid and are soft. You can check the noodles for tenderness by lifting them up and poking them with a fork or cutting them with a knife.
Plate and serve warm with some minced parsley as a garnish, optional.

Storage :

To Store: You can store this lasagna in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days.
To Freeze: Leftovers can be frozen for 3 months if stored in a freezer-safe container.
To Reheat: Reheat refrigerated leftovers in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. You can also reheat the whole casserole in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes. To reheat individual squares from frozen, simply microwave for 7-8 minutes.

Tips:

Use regular (NOT no-boil) lasagna noodles, and layer the noodles uncooked in your slow cooker.
After the cook time ends, you may want to turn off the heat and let the lasagna rest for 20-30 minutes. The rest time will make it easier to slice and serve your lasagna.
If you are crunched for time, you can cook the lasagna on high for 2 hours.
It’s important to cover the noodles completely with the sauce and cheese mixture so that the noodle actually has enough liquid to cook. If necessary, check the lasagna about halfway through to make sure the noodles are cooking. You can push them into the sauce or cover them as best as you can so it finishes cooking.