This easy slow cooker lasagna layers tender noodles with a rich meat sauce and three cheesesall with right 25 minute hands in preparation. Get the classic, cozy flavor of lasagna that blends into every bite thanks to slow cooking all day!
The magic behind the dissolution
- Hands-Free Ease: Classic lasagna flavor with almost no active cooking. Load it up, go away, come back for dinner.
- The levels remain intact: The slow and steady cook keeps it all together! There are no sliding layers or soupy middles.
- All day aroma: It fills your kitchen with that slow-simmered Italian Sunday smell without the actual work of an Italian Sunday.
Ingredients for slow cooker lasagna
- Meat: Use half ground beef and half Italian sausage for a richer flavor.
- Cheese Swap: Instead of ricotta you can use ricotta. I like how the ricotta keeps after cooking for so long.
- Noodles: No-boil or regular lasagna both work; both will soften with the long cooking time.
- Cheese: Freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-grated cheese.
- Sauce: If you prefer, use about 3 1/2 cups of homemade marinara instead of jarred marinara.
- Mushrooms: Sautéed mushrooms add moisture and depth.
How to prepare slow cooker lasagna
Lasagna always seems like a labor of love. But, for some reason, when I throw it together in a crock pot, it seems so much easier! And I love how perfectly tender the spaghetti comes out! Pair it with my Olive Garden Salad and Garlic Bread!
- Prepare and brown the meat: Spray the bowl of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray, then set aside. Add the ground beef to a large 12- or 14-inch skillet and cook for 7 to 10 minutes over medium-high heat until browned and no more pink residue. Drain off any fat, then add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add sauce ingredients to pan: Stir in marinara sauce, tomato paste, water, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until well combined.
- Combine the cheeses: Combine the ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan in a large bowl.
- assemble: To assemble the lasagna, spoon a ⅓ layer of the ragù into the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Layered noodles: Place about a third of the lasagna on top of the ragù, breaking them up as needed.
- Cheese layer, repeat and cook: Add a third of the cheese mixture over the noodles. Repeat layers two more times, finishing with the last third of the cheese mixture on top. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours, until the noodles are completely tender. Set the slow cooker to HOT and let the Crockpot lasagna rest for 15 to 30 minutes before serving to make it easier to prepare. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Alyssa’s expert advice
Jar trick: I like to add ½ cup of water to the empty sauce jar. Then I shake it to get the remaining sauce and pour it onto the plate.
Press
Slow cooked lasagna
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Equipment
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1 slow cooker5, 6 or 7 quarts
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground meat
- 1 cup diced onion about 1 medium onion
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic about 4 segments
- 1 (26 ounces) Jarred marinara sauce
- 1 (6 ounces) can tomato paste
- ½ cup waterfall
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (16 ounces) small ricotta container
- 2 cups grated mozzarella
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 10 raw lasagna
- chopped fresh parsley optional seal
Instructions
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Spray the bowl of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
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Add 1 pound lean ground beef in a large 12- or 14-inch skillet and cook for 7 to 10 minutes over medium-high heat until golden brown and no pink residue. Drain any grease.
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Add 1 cup diced onion AND 4 teaspoons minced garlicand cook for 2 minutes. Mix 1 jar marinara sauce (26 ounces)., 1 can tomato paste (6 ounces)., ½ cup of water, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of salt AND ½ teaspoon ground black pepperand stir to combine.
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Combine the 1 container (16 ounces) small cottage cheese, 2 cups grated mozzarellaAND ½ cup grated parmesan in a large bowl.
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To assemble the lasagna, spoon a ⅓ layer of the ragù into the bottom of the slow cooker. Layer about a third of 10 raw lasagna over the ragù, breaking them up as needed. Add a third of the cheese mixture over the noodles.
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Repeat layers two more times, finishing with the last third of the cheese mixture on top.
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Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours, until the noodles are completely tender.
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Turn the slow cooker on HOT and let the lasagna rest for 15-30 minutes before serving to make it easier to prepare. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Video
Notes
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second increments.
- Freezer: Not ideal to freeze once assembled. Freeze only the ragù, up to 3 months; thaw before use.
- Go ahead: Assembly up to 24 hours in advance. Reduce the cooking time by about half as the noodles will soak in the liquid.
Nutrition
Other Italian-inspired dinners
Italian dinners are a family favorite at our house. These are lasagna, or these three cheese stuffed pasta shells are some of my best dishes! Here are some other favorites to try.
Easy
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
30 minutes
Recipe skill levels
Million dollar spaghetti
1 hour and 15 minutes
Dinner
Best Sleeves EVER!
45 minutes
Dinner
Million dollar stuffed shells
1 hour and 5 minutes
