Slow Cooker Lasagna

I honestly didn't give this recipe much hope. Once I bought the Swiss Chard (what the heck IS this stuff?) and saw that there weren't a whole lot of spices, I pretty much wrote this recipe off as average.

Then I came home and smelled the delicious pasta that had been cooking for several hours.

And THEN we ate it. How good was it? Scroll down to the Verdict.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes, drained
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh oregano, chopped
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 16 ounces fresh ricotta
• 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 12 ounces dry lasagna noodles
• 1 bunch Swiss chard, tough stems removed and torn into large pieces
• 12 ounces mozzarella, grated

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In another medium bowl, combine the ricotta, parsley, Parmesan, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

Spoon 1/3 cup of the tomato mixture into the bowl of a slow cooker. Top with a single layer of noodles, breaking them to fit as necessary. Add half the Swiss chard. Dollop with a third of the ricotta mixture and a third of the remaining tomato mixture. Sprinkle with a third of the mozzarella. Add another layer of noodles and repeat with the other ingredients.

Finish with a layer of noodles and the remaining ricotta mixture, tomato mixture, and mozzarella. Set the slow cooker to low and cook, covered, until the noodles are tender, 2 to 3 hours.

VERDICT

Oh... wow. This was REALLY good. It was so good that my non-pasta loving husband called it my "best recipe EVER."

Swiss Chard? I don't know how else it's usually prepared, but it was good in this dish. Similar to spinach? Whatever it was, it didn't taste like a green leafy vegetable that's healthy for you.