Crockpot Lasagna

Happiness is...

being at home, fluttering through the house, doing laundry, reading books, tidying up...

Sometimes it includes working in the kitchen to prepare a meal.

 I don't like to spend hours upon hours in the kitchen, but I can find kitchen work to be enjoyable, too!

I think you've figured out by now that I'm no foodie, haha... I just like simple, hearty meals that I can make quickly.

I've been making a crockpot lasagna, or maybe I should call it lasagna soup, for a couple of years now.

                 

I like to eat mine with shredded cheese, sour cream, and fresh parsley. 

Would you like to know how to make it? It's very good, I think you and your family will like it! :)

First things first! Make your environment enjoyable. Things like putting on an apron or lighting a candle will make cooking more enjoyable. I like listening to music in my kitchen. Lately I've been listenening to this CD by George Winston:  

               

Start by frying up some beef and chopped onion. A pound to a pound and a half of beef is perfect for this. I never measure chopped onion. Just chop up a good amount:

              

While that simmers away on the stove, get out your crockpot, a 28oz can of diced tomatoes, and a 6oz can of tomato paste:

              

I mix the two together in the bottom of the crockpot first:

              

Then add the browned beef with onions and the following ingredients: some chopped garlic, a few shakes of dried basil...

             

Some fresh parsley...

            

And a carton of beef broth:

(Also, don't forget salt and pepper!)

           

I got it in kind of late so I cooked it on high for five hours. 

(You could also get it in in the morning and cook it on low for eight hours.) 

          

At this point, it is one of my practices to stop and breathe, and look out my window at the birds, and ponder my blessings...

Aren't we so lucky, girlfriends?! 

This was my Mother's Day bouquet from my children, and Roman made this card for me: 

             

I'm sure you have some love sitting on your kitchen window sill, too! Yes, we certainly are lucky!!!

When 30-minutes are left of cooking time, I get out my container of shell pasta:

            

And add 2-cups worth to the crockpot. Let it finish its 30-minutes of cooking...

When the 30-minutes is complete, it'll look like this:

           

Remember to always taste what you've made before serving it:

           

This is important! Make sure the pasta is done and it's seasoned well.

Sometimes, on a casual night, we will eat at our kitchen island:

           

For some reason it seems quicker and easier than at the table, but I try not to make it a habit. On occasion this is ok, but I want my children to grow up eating meals at the family table. I mention this to hopefully be an encouragement that sometimes the simple and the easy is ok. 

Like this boxed cinnamon cake that I had made for our dessert:

             

Don't feel guilty if you can't bake desserts from scratch because of lack of time or skill. One thing I've learned since becoming a wife and mother is that men and children don't care. They just want something warm and yummy to eat. 

             

I think crockpot lasagna and a warm-from-the-oven cinnamon cake is a perfectly acceptable meal at the end of a full day of homeschooling, housework, and baby care. 

(I tasted this before I served it, too, haha... Staying away from the corner because Micah likes the corners the best.)

Please let me know in the comments if you try this crockpot lasagna! I love hearing from you!

           

Take care, friends!

~ Courtney