Crockpot Taco Soup

This is a quick, easy lunch that we enjoy. It's roughly based on the recipe on this site, but we don't have a "large family" so we've adapted it.

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can some other kind of beans
1 can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp oregano

Mix in crockpot, cook on high, 2-3 hours.

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, fresh cilanto & tortilla chips

Crockpot Spinach Lasagna

This recipe was posted on Menus 4 Moms a couple weeks ago & today was a good day to try it since dh wasn't coming home for lunch (he doesn't eat tomato sauce):

cooking spray
1 box lasagna noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce
4 c mozzarella cheese
8 oz ricotta cheese
4 c fresh spinach
1/2 c water

Spray bottom & sides of crockpot. Place a few spoonfuls of sauce in crockpot to keep noodles from sticking. Break uncooked lasagna noodles into pieces & place 1/3 in a layer in crockpot. Pour 1/3 sauce evenly over noodles. Layer 1/2 the ricotta, 1/3 the mozarella, 1/2 of the spinach. Place a few spoonfuls of sauce lightly over spinach. Repeat layers: broken noodles, sauce, cheeses, spinach, a little more sauce. Layer rest of noodle pieces. Cover with rest of sauce, sprinkle rest of mozarella on top. Pour water around edges. Cover & cook on low for about 3 hours, until noodles are soft.

I don't know if it was because I was using lasagna noodles that had been in the cupboard forever, or just my crockpot, but I should've let it cook longer, will probably try 3 1/2 hrs next time. The recipe didn't say what size jar of speghetti sauce to use. I use Aldi's spaghetti sauce (read the ingredients, their chunky marinara doesn't have sugar/corn syrup, most of their others do), which may be a smaller jar than some brands? Anyway I felt like I needed more sauce, so used probably closer to 1 1/2 jars (had an open jar in the fridge so just used more out of it as needed). And it could've used a little salt (again, probably varies depending on the spaghetti sauce?). But all in all, it was super easy & all 3 of us liked it. The girls declared it "the best lasagna ever" so I have a feeling this will be a regular "treat" on days that we know in advance that Daddy's not coming home for lunch (or supper).