Crockpot Lasagna is cheesy, beefy, and tastes like a classic oven-baked lasagna, but the slow cooker does all the work, and your oven stays free. The regular lasagna noodles go in uncooked and turn perfectly tender, and you can assemble it a day ahead (hello, Sunday lunch).
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Helpful Reader Review
“I just made this yesterday while on vacation. Set it up, went to the beach for the afternoon and it was ready in time for dinner. It was delicious, with plenty of leftovers. Super easy as well!” – Vicky A. ★★★★★
Slow Cooker Lasagna Video
Why You’ll Love this Crockpot Lasagna
It has all the layers of my Classic Lasagna without boiling a single noodle. Just like my Crockpot Chili, it’s a set-it-and-forget-it meal that’s ready when you are. I like to assemble it the day before, turn it on before heading off to church, and come home to lunch already figured out.
I took a crockpot of this yummy lasagna casserole over to my parent’s house one Sunday afternoon for our weekly family lunch and everyone in my family (young and old-ish) was completely smitten with it. This is a KEEPER!!
Ingredients for Crockpot Lasagna
- Ground Beef – I use lean (85/15) ground beef. If yours has more fat, you may need to blot out the excess grease.
- Onion & Garlic – aromatics that give deep flavor and aroma
- Seasonings – salt, pepper, dried oregano and a little sugar to balance the marinara
- Red Wine – adds rich flavor to the meat sauce and simmers until nearly evaporated. You can use beef broth instead.
- Marinara – use a high quality store-bought marinara, or homemade marinara
- Parsley – added to the meat sauce and cheese sauce
- Lasagna Noodles – Use regular uncooked lasagna noodles (NOT “oven ready”). I tested gluten-free lasagna noodles, and they worked but turned out softer than traditional noodles.
- Cheese – Ricotta, cottage cheese, mozzarella and parmesan. The cottage cheese might surprise you, but the ricotta-cottage cheese blend is my favorite for flavor and texture. Drain the cottage cheese if there is excess liquid, or replace it with more ricotta.
- A little water – just 1/4 cup poured around the edges helps the noodles cook evenly, especially if your crockpot is prone to hot spots.
Slow Cooker Lasagna Variations
- Beef and Sausage – For more flavor, use equal parts ground beef and sausage.
- Spinach – Readers have had great results stirring chopped fresh spinach into the cheese sauce. I love spinach in my Chicken Lasagna, too.
How to Make Crockpot Lasagna
- Brown the Beef: In a large deep pan over medium heat, cook the ground beef and onion until no longer pink (5 min), breaking it up with your spatula. Add garlic and sauté 1 to 2 minutes, then add 1/4 cup red wine and simmer until nearly evaporated (5 min).
- Make the Meat Sauce: Add 3 cups marinara, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp sugar and 2 Tbsp chopped parsley. Mix well, cover and simmer 5 min while you stir together your cheese sauce.
- Make the Cheese Sauce: In a medium bowl, combine 15 oz ricotta, 16 oz cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/3 cup parmesan, 1 large egg, 1/4 tsp salt and 2 Tbsp parsley. Mix well.
- Assemble Lasagna: Lightly oil a 6 qt slow cooker. Spread 1 cup marinara on the bottom, then add 3 noodles, breaking to fit. Top with 1/3 of the meat sauce, sprinkle with 1 cup shredded mozzarella, then spread with 1/2 of your cheese sauce and repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles. Top with the remaining meat sauce and remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Optional: If you prefer softer noodles or your slow cooker gets hot spots, pour 1/4 cup water around the edges, allowing some of it to go down the side of the dish into the lasagna.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on LOW 3 to 4 hours, or until the noodles are tender. Start checking at 3 hours; it’s done when a knife easily pierces the noodles. Let the lasagna rest 25-30 minutes for easier serving. Serve with a large spoon or lasagna spatula.
What’s the best slow cooker?
I love this 6 qt programmable slow cooker because it cooks consistently without hotspots, has a ceramic liner, and is pretty for serving. I also have a Crockpot slow cooker, which works well and is a little more affordable. This recipe will fit a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. For a 4-quart, make about 2/3 of the recipe. For a 3-quart, cut the recipe in half and break the noodles so they fit easier.
Crock Pot Lasagna Layers
Here is a visual reference for assembling a slow cooker lasagna:
- 1 cup marinara – spread on the bottom
- 3 uncooked noodles (broken to fit)
- 1/3 meat sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella
- 1/2 ricotta cheese sauce
- 3 noodles
- 1/3 meat sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella
- 1/2 ricotta cheese sauce
- 3 noodles
- 1/3 meat sauce
- 1 cup mozzarella
- 1/4 cup water around the edges
Tips for the Best Crockpot Lasagna
- Cook it on LOW, not high – High heat can create hot spots and scorch the lasagna before the noodles can cook through.
- Timing – Plan on 3 to 4 hours on LOW, until a knife slides easily through the noodles. If your slow cooker only has preset times, set it to LOW for 8 hours and use a separate kitchen timer.
- Don’t double it in one crockpot – A doubled batch turns out soupy.
- Let it rest 25-30 minutes – It slices much more cleanly once it sets. I keep the lid on while it rests.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Make-Ahead: Fully assemble lasagna in the slow cooker insert, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Cook the next day for about 4 hours on LOW or until it reaches 165˚F.
- To Store: Cover and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: Cool the lasagna, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, or pack into freezer-safe containers. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- To Reheat: Microwave individual slices, covered, until hot. For larger portions, cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F until heated through. Leftovers should reach 165°F. Don’t reheat leftovers in the slow cooker.
A great big cheesy slice for me, please! I hope your whole family falls in love with this Crockpot Lasagna recipe. It’s one of the easiest dinners and one that the kids always enjoy. Meat sauce, cheese sauce, melty cheese between the layers – what’s not to love?
Crockpot Lasagna
A make-ahead slow cooker lasagna layered with meat sauce, a ricotta-cottage cheese filling and mozzarella. The noodles go in uncooked and cook until tender on LOW.
Ingredients
Servings: slices of lasagna
For the Meat Sauce
- 1 lb lean ground beef, (85/15 fat content)*
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1/4 cup red wine, or beef broth
- 32 oz marinara sauce, divided (reserve 1 cup for the bottom)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 4 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped and divided
For the Cheese Sauce
- 15 oz reduced fat ricotta cheese
- 16 oz low-fat cottage cheese, (drain if excess liquid is present)
- 1 lb mozzarella cheese, (4 cups shredded), divided
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
For Assembling Lasagna
- 9 lasagna noodles, uncooked, NOT “oven ready”
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- Brown the Beef: In a large deep pan over medium heat, combine ground beef and onion. Cook, breaking up meat with a spatula until no longer pink (5 min). Add garlic and sauté 1 to 2 mins. Add 1/4 cup red wine and simmer until nearly evaporated (5 min).
- Make the Meat Sauce: Add 3 cups marinara, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp sugar, and 2 Tbsp chopped parsley. Mix well, cover and simmer 5 min.
- Make the Cheese Sauce: In a medium bowl, combine 15 oz ricotta, 16 oz cottage cheese, 1 large egg, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 Tbsp parsley, and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well.
- Assemble Lasagna: Lightly oil a 6 qt slow cooker.* Spread 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom then top with 3 noodles, breaking them to fit. Top with 1/3 of the Meat Sauce, sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese, then spread the top with 1/2 of your ricotta cheese mixture and repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles. Top the third layer of noodles with the remaining meat sauce and the remaining 1 cup mozzarella. *Optional: Pour 1/4 cup water around the edges, allowing some of it to go down the side of the dish into lasagna.
- Slow Cook: Cover and cook on LOW 3 to 4 hours*, or until noodles are tender (start checking at 3 hours – it's done when a knife easily pierces the noodles and a thermometer reaches 165˚F in the center). Let the lasagna rest 25-30 mins then use a large spoon or lasagna spatula to serve.
Notes
*Ground Beef: If using a higher-fat beef, you may need to blot out excess grease. You can also use equal parts beef and sausage for more flavor in your lasagna.
*Slow Cooker Size Adjustments: For a 5 or 7 qt, make the recipe as written. For a 4-qt, use 2/3 of the recipe. For a 3-qt, use half.
*Add water if your slow cooker is prone to hot spots or if you prefer softer noodles.
*Make-Ahead: You can assemble the lasagna fully and refrigerate overnight, then cook the next day. It may take closer to 4 hours on low if slow cooking if lasagna was assembled ahead and refrigerated overnight. It should reach 165˚F.
*Storage: Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
*Cooking Temperature: Do not cook on high! This can create hot spots and scorch the lasagna before the noodles can cook through.
Nutrition Per Serving
435kcal Calories31g Carbs37g Protein18g Fat
Nutrition Facts
Crockpot Lasagna
Amount per Serving
Calories
435
% Daily Value*
Fat
18
g
28
%
Saturated Fat
10
g
63
%
Trans Fat
0.3
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
6
g
Cholesterol
93
mg
31
%
Sodium
1221
mg
53
%
Potassium
653
mg
19
%
Carbohydrates
31
g
10
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
7
g
8
%
Protein
37
g
74
%
Vitamin A
984
IU
20
%
Vitamin C
10
mg
12
%
Calcium
564
mg
56
%
Iron
3
mg
17
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
