No-Boil Noodle Crock Pot Baked Ziti

Video below on how I oops, will do it again

On a recent trip to the grocery store, I wanted to get penne, because, well, when your girl wants penne, that's the EXACT noodle I want. It's a thing. And it's weird. I do understand. However. Because sometimes at the grocery store, I am on autopilot, just trying to get in and out, I accidentally grabbed ziti noodles. And I am not letting any good carb go to waste. So, now, I give you, the 'I accidentally bought ziti instead of penne, crock pot baked ziti.' This is a perfect and simple crock pot dish to throw together. And, bonus! You don’t have to cook the noodles!

Ingredients/Recipe:

• 1 lb. of hamburger

• 1, 8 oz container of fresh mushrooms or 2, 4 oz cans of mushrooms

• Onion powder or flakes (I used to season the hamburger and mushrooms)

• 24 oz jar of marinara sauce

• 2 1/2 C of chicken broth

• Roughly 4 dry cups of ziti pasta

• 1 C of shredded mozzarella

Putting it Together:

In a pan on the stove top, fry up the hamburger and mushrooms, seasoning with onion and salt and pepper, to your liking. Then, place this mixture, the marinara sauce and the broth into the slow cooker, give it a good mix, and place it on low for 4-5 hours, letting it get a good simmer.

Following this, turn your slow cooker to high and add in the ziti noodles, stir them up, and let them cook for about 15 minutes. After this, add the cup of shredded mozzarella over the top, and keep on high for another 10-12 minutes. Keep an eye on your pasta to ensure it does not overcook, as every slow cooker is slightly different.

Serving:

You will want to eat/serve this right away, otherwise, the noodles will expand given they are in the warm crock pot. The good news is, you can simmer the initial step for as long as you need, and then when you are about 30 minutes from wanting to eat, take step 2 with the noodles and cheese.

Load of Crock Tip(s):

• For al dente noodles, shoot for 20 minutes total from time you put in the noodles through when the cheese is melted. Suggest doing the noodles for 10 minutes, then adding cheese on top

• Funnily, penne works for this too!

• Feel free to bulk up the bake with vegetables, more beef, etc.

• Our liners work great for this recipe, as pasta can burn on the sides. It also is perfect for taking out of the crock and transferring any leftovers. Liners can be found at www.myloadofcrock.com/shoploadofcrock