Crockpot Lasagna Recipe

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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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.

How to Make Crockpot Lasagna

1. 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).

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

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.

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?

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