Easy Crockpot Lasagna Recipe

Crockpot Lasagna is juicy, cheesy, beefy, and tastes just as good as a Classic Lasagna, but easier! There is no need to pre-cook noodles, you just add them raw and they cook up perfectly tender in the slow cooker. This is also a make-ahead lasagna that can be assembled a day ahead for convenient meals (hello Sunday lunch).

Slow cookers have been a little neglected with the popularity of Instant Pots and air fryers, but let’s not forget why we love them in the first place – you can set it and forget it until dinner time (like Crockpot Chili), so it’s ready when you are. 

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You’ll Love this Crockpot Lasagna

Lasagna in the slow cooker is one of my favorite Sunday lunch ideas. You can assemble it a day ahead and refrigerate, then turn it on before heading off to church and have it ready when you get home. It works perfectly because we love our leisurely Sunday morning pace and it’s great to know I already have lunch 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 – The best beef for lasagna should have about 20% fat content
• Onion & Garlic – aromatics that give deep flavor and aroma
• Salt, Pepper & Oregano – simple pantry staples are all you need
• Red wine adds incredible flavor to the meat sauce
• 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).
• Cheese – This lasagna combines 3 cheeses. The cottage cheese might surprise you but takes the cheese sauce to the next level.
• A little water is added to help with hot spots and to cook more evenly. If your crockpot is prone to hot spots, consider using a slow cooker liner or a different slow cooker.

How to Make Crockpot Lasagna

1. In a large deep pan over medium heat, saute the ground beef and onion for 5 min or until no longer pink, breaking it up with your spatula. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute then add 1/4 cup red wine and simmer until nearly evaporated (5 min).

2. Add 3 cups marinara, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp sugar and 2 Tbsp chopped parsley. Mix well, cover and simmer 5 min while you stir together your cheese sauce.

3. For the cheese sauce: In a medium bowl, combine 15 oz ricotta, 16 oz cottage cheese (un-drained), 1 large egg, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 2 Tbsp parsley. Mix well.

4. Lightly oil your 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 on 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, then spread with 1/2 of your cheese sauce and repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles. Top with remaining meat sauce, 3/4 cup mozzarella and pour 1/2 cup water around the edges, allowing some of it to go down the side of the dish into the lasagna.

5. Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 to 4 hours**. If desired, soak up any excess oil with a paper towel then sprinkle on the remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella, cover and cook for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Let the lasagna rest 15 minutes before serving, otherwise, it will be blazing hot and too loose to serve.

What’s the best slow cooker? We used a 6 Quart programmable slow cooker when I took these photos. We have since upgraded to an 8 Quart crockpot. Note: If you use a 3 quart, you will need to cut the recipe in half and break the noodles in half so they fit easier into the crockpot.

Crock Pot Lasagna Layers

Here is a visual reference on how to assemble a slow cooker lasagna in order of adding to the crockpot. I follow this list every time.

• 1 cup marinara – spread on the bottom
•  3 noodles (broken to fit)
• 1/3 of the meat sauce
• 3/4 cup grated mozzarella
• 1/2 ricotta cheese sauce
• 3 noodles
• 1/3 meat sauce
• 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella
• 1/2 ricotta cheese sauce
• 3 noodles
• 1/3 meat sauce
• 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella (refrigerate remaining cheese)
• 1/2 cup water around the edges
• After 4 hours, top with 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella

Common Questions

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?

More Crockpot Recipes

• Pork Carnitas – Mexican pulled pork
• Slow Cooker Beef Chili – it doesn’t get any easier
• Crockpot BBQ Chicken – delicious in sandwiches
• Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce is perfect over any pasta
• Crockpot Pulled Pork is so tender and saucy
• Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos for taco Tuesday

Easy Crockpot Lasagna Recipe

4.97 from 188 votes

Author: Natasha Kravchuk

Crockpot Lasagna is cheesy, saucy, beefy and so juicy! An easy slow cooker lasagna that can be made ahead, and always gets rave reviews. Can be fully assembled and refrigerated overnight and slow cooked the next day per step #5.

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Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 4 hours hrs

Total Time: 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

Servings: 10 slices of lasagna

For the Meat Sauce

• 1 lb ground beef, (80/20 fat content)
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1/4 cup red wine, or beef broth
• 32 oz marinara sauce
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 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
• 1 large egg
• 1 lb mozzarella cheese, (4 cups shredded), divided

For Assembling Lasagna:

• 9 lasagna noodles, uncooked, NOT “oven ready”
• 1/2 cup water

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Instructions

• 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).
• Add 3 cups marinara, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp thyme, 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, and 2 Tbsp parsley. Mix well.
• 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 3/4 cup of your 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 remaining meat sauce, 3/4 cup mozzarella and pour 1/2 cup water around the edges, allowing some of it to go down the side of the dish into lasagna.
• Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 to 4 hours** then top with reserved mozzarella, cover and cook 10 mins or until cheese melts. Let the lasagna rest 15 mins for easier serving.

Notes

*Important: Do not cook on high!
**Cook 3 1/2 hours on low if slow cooking right away and 4 hours on low if slow cooking after having the lasagna assembled and refrigerated overnight.

Nutrition Per Serving

437kcal Calories30g Carbs35g Protein18g Fat9g Saturated Fat91mg Cholesterol1149mg Sodium658mg Potassium2g Fiber7g Sugar945IU Vitamin A9.4mg Vitamin C530mg Calcium2.8mg Iron

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Easy Crockpot Lasagna Recipe

Amount per Serving

Calories

437

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

18

g

28

%

Saturated Fat

 

9

g

56

%

Cholesterol

 

91

mg

30

%

Sodium

 

1149

mg

50

%

Potassium

 

658

mg

19

%

Carbohydrates

 

30

g

10

%

Fiber

 

2

g

8

%

Sugar

 

7

g

8

%

Protein

 

35

g

70

%

Vitamin A

 

945

IU

19

%

Vitamin C

 

9.4

mg

11

%

Calcium

 

530

mg

53

%

Iron

 

2.8

mg

16

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: crockpot lasagna, slow cooker lasagna

Skill Level: Easy

Cost to Make: $$

Calories: 437