Crockpot Lasagna

Italian food makes me drool... and I LOVE my crock pot... putting the two of them together is like paradise for me. Seriously, I get giddy just thinking about this recipe.

**I use a 5qt. crock pot that I got as a high school graduation present. (I'm not going to tell you how long ago that was.) Nevertheless, newer models, or different sizes may require an adjustment to the cooking time and how much of an ingredient is required.**

Crock pot Lasagna:
One package lasagna noodles (UNCOOKED!!!)
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. sausage
1 can (26.5 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 c. warm water

Filling:
1 bag mozzarella, shredded
15 oz. ricotta
1 small container of small curd cottage cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
parsley

Brown the beef and sausage together. Strain and rinse well. Add the sauce and water. In a bowl, mix the ingredients for the filling, and add enough parsley to make it pretty. Now we're ready to layer this baby in your crock pot!
Start with a few spoons of sauce to prevent sticking. Then layer: break the noodles to fit, cheese, sauce, broken noodles, cheese, sauce... until you run out of stuff to layer with. (My crock pot usually gets 4 healthy layers.) Make sure to end with sauce and cover the top with extra cheese (mozzarella or Italian blend works nice!). Add more pretty parsley and a touch of garlic salt. Voila!
You can cook this on low for 6 hours, or on high for 4. Try to avoid the temptation of lifting the lid once it's cooking, even for just one tiny smell, so this can cook properly. You'll want to remove the lid completely for the last 45 minutes of cook time to let the sauce thicken. (You can smell all you want then!!)
Lasagna... in a crock pot... it's pure beauty!!!

*If you like things a little on the spicy side, I won't judge you, try this with hot sausage and add some crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce. Baby that's HOT!