Slow Cooker Lasagna

I've been trying to eat all the major food groups lately and it's much easier said than done. Stir frys are no longer that appetizing to me, so I've turned to pasta and sauce, usually mixing in some veggies from our CSA. My recent favorite has been lasagna. I've been making it in our slow cooker because I don't have to cook and wait when I'm already hungry for dinner.

Here's how easy it is:

1. Brown 1 lb ground turkey in a skillet (with or without onions)
then add a jar of yummy sauce.

2. Dice some veggies - peppers and jalapenos have been my recents, but carrots, eggplant and others work too.

3. Pour a spoonful of sauce to cover the bottom of the slow cooker (4-6 qt. size)

4. Lay down Lasagna Noodles (I use no boil)

5. Layer: Sauce, veggies, cheese*, noodles
(and repeat)

I lay down 2 noodles side by side and can get 3 or 4 layers high.

6. After the last two noodles, smear a little sauce on top and sprinkle more cheese.

* I'm not a fan of Ricotta, so I usually use a 4 Italian cheese blend. I get a bag of it already shredded so I can just throw handfuls into it.

I'm not sure that it takes less time to do the prep, but it's nice to not have to bake it and wait around. Clean up is probably the same. Justin likes it because the noodles are neither chewy nor crispy, but just right (I like them a little crispy - if you put the slow cooker base into the oven uncovered for ten minutes, it should crisp a little bit). The best part is that on nights like tonight when Justin will only have a few minutes home before rushing out again, and I won't be home until later, we can just come in and enjoy a yummy homecooked meal.