Crockpot Lasagna

SERIOUS COMFORT FOOD

I gauge this isn't technically lasagna, since it is cooked inwards the crock pot in addition to uses rigatoni noodles, but it qualifies every bit serious comfort nutrient in addition to has all of the rich, familiar lasagna flavors.

1 1/2 pounds thin soil beef (browned and drained well)
4 cups of beef broth (not bullion)
(1) fifteen ounce tin of tomato plant sauce
(1) 12 ounce tin of tomato plant paste
1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes
1 teaspoon dry out oregano
2 teaspoons dry out basil
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed (don't exit out)
1 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoons carbohydrate (don't exit out)
1/2 teaspoon dark pepper
small pinch of cherry chili flakes (optional)
3/4 pound of rigatoni noodles
1/2 pound of mushrooms (thick sliced)
2 to 3 cups Colby jack cheese shredded
1 loving cup of ricotta cheese

Brown the soil beef in addition to drain it real well. In a large crock pot (see depository fiscal establishment annotation below), Mix the beef broth, tomato plant sauce, tomato plant paste, onion in addition to spices. Use a whisk to mix the sauce together well, in addition to then stir inwards the meat in addition to mushrooms. Cook on high for iv hours (see note). Stir ane time inwards a spell during the iv hours if possible (but non absolutely necessary.

After iv hours, Stir inwards the DRY unboiled rigatoni, brand certain you lot force them nether the sauce (add a niggling extra hot H2O if necessary). Add the ricotta to the crock pot past times spooning tablespoons of it in random spots in addition to gently force downwards on the ricotta to submerge it every bit good (don't stir).

Continue to railroad train on depression for thirty to a greater extent than minutes. Sprinkle the surface alongside shredded Colby jack cheese in addition to lay the lid dorsum on for well-nigh v minutes or until cheese is nicely melted. Serve.

NOTE: My crock pot is a large oval in addition to broad deadening cooker, which plant good for this recipe, every bit opposed to a small/tall one.  The primary cooking fourth dimension is iv hours on high, but if you lot are going to move away from the describe of piece of job solid all day, merely plough it downwards to LOW in addition to railroad train for 8 hours earlier you lot add together the noodles. If you lot are using ane of those smaller/taller deadening cookers, you lot may accept to adapt the cooking fourth dimension a little.

NOTE: My crock pot has a "low" setting, a "high" setting in addition to a "warm" setting. Once this recipe is completely done (and ready to eat) you lot tin exit it on "warm" for quite a while. Warning, "low" is non the same every bit "warm".

NOTE: Noodles tends to autumn apart if you lot leave them inwards the crock pot for much to a greater extent than than thirty minutes, thus don't move tempted to add together them early. Thirty minutes is perfect.

NOTE: This recipe uses rigatoni noodles, which are large diameter tubular noodles that accept ridges on them. However, whatever sort of thick walled (sturdy) noodle volition piece of job for this recipe. Just brand certain you lot create NOT BOIL THEM earlier you lot add together them to the sauce. They railroad train inwards the sauce in addition to soak upwards all of that extra liquid. Regular elbow noodles piece of job good if you lot are serving this to a crowd of kids.

NOTE: I similar dehydrated onion inwards this recipe, but if you lot don't accept that, merely saute a small-scale chopped onion along alongside the soil beef.

NOTE: You tin move your favorite cheese. We come about to similar Colby jack cheese, but mozzarella plant good too.

NOTE: This reheats real well.