Wholemeal, kangaroo, chia-enriched, slow cooker lasagna

Tuesday night is lasagna night at our house. But not just any lasagna. We like to try and make our food healthy, and this lasagna sure has some healthy properties (perhaps not-so-much the cheese). It uses Kangaroo mince, which is healthier than beef as it is leaner and is packed full of iron. I use wholemeal lasagna sheets, as they are less refined and lower-GI than your typical white pasta. Then there's the chia seeds - full of protein and omega 3. I also chuck in some veggies, because if vegetables are in it, it's bound to be healthy, right? The best part is, it's in a slow cooker! It's a bit more moist than the typical lasagna, but it is equally as yummier and much easier to clean off the crock pot!

This recipe serves 4, and is based on this lasagne recipe.

You will need:

• 500g Kangaroo Mince
• 3 teaspoons of chia seeds
• 1 cup of frozen vegetables (or you can use some fresh ones!)
• 1 jar of pasta sauce (whichever flavour. I usually go for a garlic and herb one).
• 1 packet of wholemeal lasagna sheets
• 500g cream cheese
• 1 x 250g packet of Perfect Italiano Mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan cheese. (or if you have these ingrediants separate, just use a combination. Personally I would leave out the cheddar, and there is another packet available without it but I couldn't find it in my local Coles today. Bum.)
• 1 tablespoon of italian herbs. (it comes in a shaker in the spices aisle of your local supermarket).

The cheese combination!

Heat some oil in a pan and brown your kangaroo mince. You don't have to go overboard with making it brown - remember it's going to cook for many hours in the slow cooker. Add frozen veggies, chia seeds, and pasta sauce. Stir. Turn off heat.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine all of the cheeses and some italian herbs.

Get your crock pot and spoon about a 2cm layer of the kangaroo mince mixture on the bottom. 

Brake up the lasagna sheets to cover the kangaroo completely. It doesn't matter if some overlap.

Put about 2 cm of cheese mixture on top of the lasagna sheets. 

Depending on the size of your crockpot, this should make 2-3 layers of meat-sheets-cheese.

Cook for 4 hours on HIGH or 6 hours on LOW.

***

Sometimes I like to add spinach in the meat or on top as a bit of decoration. You can obviously add what you like. Salt & pepper to taste, perhaps even chilli. 

If you have a variation, what is it? Leave your comment below!