Wednesday, May 20, 2015

WIAW: Crock Pot Lasagna {5/20}

Happy Hump Day!!! I am sore as can be this morning and trying to get the energy together to head to Pure Barre. I can tell it is going to be a painful class.

I am excited to share one of my favorite recipes with y'all... crock pot lasagna. This is frequently on repeat in my kitchen and I think it turns out way better than regular lasagna. And you don't have to precook the noodles, which is excellent (I always burn my fingers and break all the noodles).

I started my Monday morning with a bowl of Kashi Heart to Heart cereal with a sliced banana and unsweetened almond milk.



After breakfast I walked to my workout class: Blast fitness. Let me tell you, this was an awesome workout! It was similar to Orange Theory, in that the entire class is based on interval training. We alternated between the treadmill for sprints and the floor for strength work, doing 5 minutes of each.

During the sprints, the instructor would call out inclines and speeds, adjusting for walkers, joggers, and runners. I started with the jogger pace because I wasn't sure how intense the class would be, and then moved to the runner pace for the second set. The inclines were no joke - their treadmills went up to 30. I think the incline on the treadmill at my gym goes to 12.



After class, I walked home and cleaned up. I grabbed a bottle of Arden's Garden HotShot juice (unpictured) for some rehydration. This juice has lemon, ginger, and cranberry in it, so it is great for flushing the system.

Lunch was a snack-y affair. Leftover sesame rice with mushrooms, carrots, and cabbage. Kale chips. Siggi's yogurt.




I ran errands in the afternoon and then came home to make lasagna in the crockpot. Here is what I used:

ingredients
1 package of whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 24-oz jar of marinara sauce OR homemade tomato sauce (recipe here)
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 12-oz container of part-skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon each of dried parsley, oregano, and basil
4 cups of chopped vegetable (squash, zucchini, brocoli, spinach, kale, etc. Here I used fresh zucchini, frozen broccoli, fresh mushrooms, and some olives)

directions
In a large saucepan, sauté the vegetables in olive oil until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a medium bowl, mix 10 ounces of the ricotta, the shredded mozzarella, one egg, and the dried spices.

To assemble the lasagna: Spread about one third of a cup of sauce in the bottom of the crock pot. Layer uncooked lasagna noodles over the bottom, breaking as necessary to fit the pieces. (Note: it took me a few tries to learn how to fit the noodles into my oval crockpot). Spread more sauce over the noodles, then top with large spoonfuls of the cheese mixture, using about 1/4-1/3 of the cheese. Sprinkle cooked veggies on top, using about 1/3. Cover with more noodles and repeat the layers. For the very top, spread sauce over the noodles, then top with cheese.

Place lid on crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours OR low for 5 hours. Turn off and let stand 20 minutes before eating. Enjoy!



What is your favorite thing to make in the crockpot? 
Are you a fan of interval training? 

Hope y'all have an awesome Wednesday!
Hannah

Thanks for hosting What I Ate Wednesday, Jenn and Arman!

7 comments:

  1. yummm!!! I love lasagna, but hate using the oven when it's hot outside. Pinning this recipe now :)

    Jen@Jpabstfitness.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Let me know what you think! I love using the crock pot in the summer. It is just too hot for the oven!

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  2. I love interval training. It really whips me into shape!
    Kari
    www.sweetteasweetie.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. So true - interval training kills me... in a good way ;)

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  3. Wow that lasagna sounds good, and I love the idea of doing it in the crockpot. Very smart.


    Happy WIAW!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can't wait to try crockpot lasagna! I love making a big batch of chicken breasts in the crockpot so I have shredded chicken to use and freeze. They stay moist and take no time at all!

    ReplyDelete

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