Crockpot lasagna is where convenience meets comfort. This cheesy, saucy, set-it-and-forget-it meal rivals any traditional baked lasagna!
Crockpot lasagna is the easiest way to cook everyone’s favorite comfort meal! The smell of a saucy, meaty, cheesy filling layered between tender pasta noodles is exactly what you want to come home to after a busy day. Just make sure to end your Italian-inspired dinner with a big slice of homemade tiramisu!
This recipe for slow cooker lasagna is one of my favorite cozy comfort meals. It ranks right up there with my marry me chicken and cheesy chicken fajita casserole as well as my creamy lemon chicken pasta because you can never go wrong with an effortlessly delicious and satisfying meal!
It’s really a low-fuss, budget-friendly way to serve my family, and homemade lasagna is a meal we always enjoy. Layers of melty cheese, deliciously seasoned meat sauce, and easy oven-ready noodles can be made with just 20 minutes of prep time. Then, it’s basically hands-off for the next few hours!
The aromas in the kitchen are enough to make your mouth water, and having slow cooker lasagna waiting for you at the end of the day is delicious and convenient.
Slow cooker recipes are great to have on hand all year because a hot meal is always welcome during the cooler months, and when the weather is warm, it means no heating up your kitchen with the oven. Definitely a win-win!
Any leftovers can be saved for lunch the next day or packed away in the freezer for an easy crockpot dinner later!
Enjoy this restaurant-style dinner with a side of Caesar salad and a basket of fresh garlic bread or breadsticks for a complete Italian-inspired meal.
Why Make This Easy Crockpot Lasagna recipe
- Deliciously cheesy and saucy and turns out just as amazing as a traditional oven-baked lasagna.
- Hands off once it’s in the slow cooker which means you can walk away and get other things done. Not heating up the kitchen is a bonus!
- Cost-effective way to feed a crowd and usually provides leftovers, too.
- Freezer-friendly leftovers mean an easy dinner to reheat later on. A total time saver for busy weeknights.
- Customizable ingredients mean you can swap ingredients to your tastes and preferences. See below for ingredient substitutions.
Ingredients for Crock pot Lasagna
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
For the meat
- Ground beef: I use lean ground beef, but you can use ground turkey or a combination of ground beef and ground pork.
- Ground pork Italian sausage: You can use all beef sausages. Keep in mind, hot sausages will add a little kick to your pasta sauce.
- Onion and garlic are aromatics that give everything an incredible depth of flavor. They are a common ingredient duo in all kinds of recipes.
- Italian seasoning is a blend of herbs traditionally made with basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. The remaining ingredients can vary depending on where you get yours. I have an excellent recipe for Italian Seasoning that you could use!
For the sauce
- Tomato sauce: A can of your favorite spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce will work. Since we’re adding granulated sugar as an added ingredient, using a sauce with no added sugar is something to keep in mind.
- Tomato paste: This is used to thicken up the sauce as well as give it a more intense tomato flavor.
- Granulated sugar: Needed to cut through the acidity in the sauce. It serves a purpose without adding any noticeable sweet flavor.
- Water: Used to thin out the sauce just a bit. It makes it easier to spread out the layer of sauce.
For the Cheese
- Ricotta cheese: A mild, very soft cheese and a common ingredient in lasagna. Can be substituted with cottage cheese which has a bit more texture and is lower in calories, but also has a similar mild flavor so it can be used interchangeably in many recipes.
- Parmesan cheese: Grated parmesan gives the cheese mixture a sharpness which is a nice counterbalance to the creamy ricotta and mild mozzarella.
- Mozzarella cheese: Using a block and grating it yourself is recommended!
- Egg: Used to bind the cheeses so it holds its structure while it cooks.
- Uncooked lasagna noodles: I like to use oven-ready, no-boil noodles. It’s a total time-saver!
How to Make Lasagna in The Slow Cooker
Tip!
Shredding your own block of cheese is the way to go! Pre shredded packaged mozzarella comes with anti-clumping agents which can taste a bit funny as well as it doesn’t allow for easy melting.
Slice and serve. Once you’re ready to eat, slice it up into as big or little pieces as you’d like and serve with your favorite sides. My family loves a side Caesar and a basket of garlic bread or breadsticks.
Tips and Tricks
Extra tips for making the easiest lasagna recipe a success!
- Cover noodles in sauce. Make sure to cover all of the noodles with the sauce. Since they are uncooked, it needs the liquid to cook them while the lasagna is cooking. If there is not enough liquid the noodles will be dry and possibly burnt towards the edges.
- Variations. You can swap the ground beef for ground turkey, ground chicken, or a blend of beef and pork. Lasagna with cottage cheese sometimes comes out a little more moist when made in the slow cooker. It’s also lower in calories, which is a bonus if you’re looking for something a little lighter. Season the sauce to your liking and, of course, use more or less cheese depending on your family’s preference.
- Make it meatless. Looking for a vegetarian meal? Feel free to leave out the meat completely for vegetarian lasagna. You can leave it as is or replace it with diced veggies such as mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplant, spinach, or zucchini.
- Use the oven. If you’re looking for a more traditional way to make a lasagna (or you don’t have a slow cooker) you can easily make this recipe in the oven instead. Assemble lasagna in a baking dish, cover with foil, and cook for 40 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, until the cheese is golden. For accurate times, follow the directions on your noodle package.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I use uncooked lasagna noodles?
The neat thing about these time-saving noodles is that they use the liquid from the sauce to cook them. If the lasagna noodles were pre-cooked, the sauce would have nowhere to go after hours in the slow cooker which would result in runny lasagna. This way, the liquid gets absorbed as the noodles cook, yielding the perfect consistency.
How long does crockpot lasagna last in the fridge?
Once completely cooled, place in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you’ve got lots of leftovers, it’s great for meal prep throughout the week. Store in smaller portions and reheat only what you need. Lunch and dinner for the week!
Can I freeze lasagna?
Lasagna is very freezer-friendly. It can be kept frozen for up to 3 months. Whether you’re storing leftovers or an entire lasagna, keep it wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and transfer to a Ziploc or freezer-friendly container.
How to reheat lasagna?
If you’re just reheating a piece or two at a time, popping it in the microwave for 1-minute intervals is best. If you’re heating up more than that, use the oven to heat it through.
Now that you’ve learned to make the easiest lasagna that serves any hungry crowd, don’t forget to pin it so more people can enjoy it too.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Crockpot Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ pound (450 g) ground beef lean
- ½ pound (450 g) ground pork Italian sausage can use all beef
- 1 medium (820 g) yellow onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 29 ounce can (820 g) tomato sauce
- 6 ounce can (170 g) tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 12 ounces (340 g) ricotta cheese 1 ½ cups in total
- ¾ cup (63 g) parmesan cheese grated
- 12 ounces (340 g) shredded mozzarella cheese 3 cups in total
- 1 egg beaten
- 12 uncooked lasagna noodles oven-ready no boil type
- Fresh basil for serving
Instructions
- Spray the slow cooker with non stick spray.
- In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and the Italian sausage until no longer pink (about 8 minutes).
- Drain grease, add onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and cook until the onions and translucent (about 2 minutes).
- Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, and water. Cook for one minute then remove heat.
- In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese, with parmesan, 1 ½ cups of mozzarella cheese, and egg. Put the remaining cheese in the fridge to use later.
- In the slow cooker, add one fourth of the meat sauce, followed by 4 noodles (break a few up if necessary to fit your slow cooker). Layer half of the cheese mixture, and one fourth of the meat sauce. Top with 4 noodles, remaining cheese mixture, one fourth of the meat sauce. Top with 4 noodles, and remaining meat sauce.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or until the noodles are cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Top with 1 ½ cups of mozzarella, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Slice, and serve with a salad (Caesar salad is a great option) and garlic bread or breadsticks.
Notes:
- Spread sauce evenly over uncooked noodles to ensure even cooking. Inadequate sauce may lead to dry or burnt edges.
- Customize with different meats like ground turkey or chicken, or a beef-pork blend. Using cottage cheese can yield a moister lasagna, with fewer calories.
- Adjust sauce seasoning and cheese quantity based on personal taste preferences.
- For a vegetarian option, omit meat and add diced veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, or spinach.
- Traditional oven method: Layer lasagna in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese is golden. Follow the noodle package instructions for precise timing.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
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