This easy Crockpot Lasagna Recipe is so easy it practically makes itself. The payoff in rich, cheesy flavor is HUGE for such little effort.
In this life-changing Crockpot Lasagna recipe, I love that the slow cooker does double duty:
- It creates a rich, meat sauce with the deep flavour of being simmered all day
- And it also “bakes” the lasagna all in one step!
Unlike with traditional lasagna, there’s no need to boil and drain the noodles, saving an extra step and dirty pot. We are totally winning!
Why You’re going to love this Crock Pot Lasagna Recipe:
Making lasagna in the slow cooker is honestly one of my new favourite dinner hacks. It’s so easy, but set-it-and-forget-it convenience isn’t even the main draw. Here’s what this decadent recipe offers:
- The flavour is incredible. I love how the slow cooker slowly simmers rich umami flavour into the sauce just like Nonna’s.
- The noodles cook to perfect al-dente with the super low heat. It’s (surprisingly) difficult to overcook them in 3 1/2 – 4 hours of cook time plus significant warming time.
- The shredded mozzarella cheese melts to stretchy deliciousness. I don’t miss the browning of the oven at all.
- Portability. This didn’t even occur to me until I was testing a batch on a day I was visiting a friend. Grabbed the whole appliance and took it with me to her house. Great for potlucks using the warming setting.
Crockpot Lasagna Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Lasagna noodles (more on this in a bit)
- Tomato sauce (see options below)
- Ricotta cheese (or substitute cottage cheese).
- Mozzarella
- Fresh parsley
For a super-simple ingredient list, this recipe delivers a ton of classic, delicious lasagna flavour.
How to Make Lasagna in the Slow Cooker:
- Prep the meat sauce (psst. here’s my ultimate spaghetti meat sauce recipe!)
- Prep the ricotta cheese mixture
- Layer the ingredients in your Crockpot (or any slow cooker)
- Set the cook time and walk away
How do you Layer Crockpot Lasagna?
There is no specific rule for layering lasagna except that the bottom layer should be sauce, and in the slow-cooker version, every noodle layer should touch a sauce layer to ensure it cooks through in the liquid.
Here’s what I do:
- Sauce
- Noodle
- Sauce and ricotta filling and mozzarella
- Noodle
- Sauce and ricotta filling and mozzarella
- Noodle
- Repeat. When you run out of ricotta filling (this recipe has enough for 2 layers of it), repeat with just the sauce and mozzarella.
Finish with a layer of sauce and a generous layer of mozzarella cheese.
The Right Noodles to Make Crockpot Lasagna
The perfect pasta to use in this recipe are uncooked lasagna noodles. And I mean the standard, boxed noodles. Note:
- Do not use no-boil noodles.
- Do not use lasagna sheets.
- You read correctly: you do not need to pre-cook them first (woohoo!)
- You don’t need to add any extra water
Because the slow cooker loses very little moisture, there is more than enough liquid to “bake” up a saucy lasagna with perfectly-tender noodles without adding extra water to the recipe.
Wanna simplify this? Shh. I’ve got you.
In testing for this post, I started with my pasta meat sauce recipe from scratch, which uses:
- Medium onion
- Minced garlic
- Toasted tomato paste
- Canned whole tomatoes
However as I continued the testing process to really get specific on cooking time, I did a version using storebought marinara sauce. And guess what?
With the low-and-slow simmer of the slow cooker, the flavour comes out really amazing even if you start with a commercial jar. Great shortcut.
If you want to do it this way, use 2 x 645 mL/22 fl oz) jars of your favourite storebought marinara sauce. See details in recipe notes.
Crockpot Lasagna Make Ahead + Storage
One of the best things about this Crockpot Lasagna recipe is how well it lends itself to being made ahead and stored for future meals. Whether you’re prepping for busy weeknights or planning ahead for a gathering, here are some tips for making, storing, and reheating:
Make Ahead:
- Prepare the Lasagna Meat Sauce up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This allows the flavors to develop even more.
- You can also assemble the entire lasagna in the slow cooker, cover, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before cooking. When ready to cook, simply place the crockpot insert back into the slow cooker and cook as directed.
Storage:
- Refrigerator: Once cooked, let the lasagna cool to room temperature, then store leftovers in an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Crockpot lasagna freezes beautifully. After cooling, portion the lasagna into individual servings, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat from frozen, let the lasagna thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 25 minutes or until heated through.
Reheating:
- Microwave: For a quick meal, microwave individual servings on high for 2-3 minutes, or until thoroughly heated.
- Oven: To reheat larger portions, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), cover the lasagna with foil to prevent it from drying out, and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until heated through.
By following these tips, you can enjoy delicious lasagna without the hassle of last-minute preparation.
Crockpot Lasagna Recipe FAQs:
To know for sure if it’s cooked, insert a paring knife through the middle. The noodles should be tender. The internal temperature should reach at least 165ºF.
I found it perfect at the 3 1/2 hour mark on low setting in my Crockpot™ 4-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker. A larger slow cooker has more heated surface area and will cook faster, and a smaller one is deeper and may take longer.
Fortunately, this recipe has wiggle room with the doneness window so you don’t have to stress. I kept mine on the WARM setting for three hours to serve it at the perfect temperature later in the day.
Egg is often used in a lasagna ricotta filling to make it set firmer for tidy slices.
I personally love the texture of ricotta and don’t mind the filling a little looser. Plus, always happy to save myself an unnecessary ingredient. But feel free to whisk one egg into the ricotta mixture if you like a super-solid slice.
For a really great sauce-to-filling ratio, I love to have 4-5 layers of noodles. This makes a lush lasagna that’s satisfying and saucy, never dry or too pasta-dense.
What to Serve This With:
Need a side dish? Here are some great options:
- Air Fryer Eggplant, red pepper or zucchini.
- Kale Caesar salad
- No-Knead Cheesy Garlic Bread Fingers
- Steamed broccolini or spinach
More Favorite Crockpot Recipes
Try One of These Delicious Italian Recipes Next:
Crockpot Lasagna Recipe (Easy, Cheesy + DELICIOUS!)
Ingredients
For Lasagna Meat Sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tsp kosher salt divided use
- ½ tsp crushed chili flakes
- 1 6-oz can tomato paste
- 1 28-oz can whole or diced tomatoes (not unsalted or low sodium)
For Ricotta Filling
- 1 lb ricotta
- 1 oz parmesan cheese grated
- 1 ½ tbsp minced fresh parsley plus more for topping
To Assemble Lasagna
- 10 uncooked regular lasagna noodles (not "no boil" or fresh)
- 8 oz grated mozzarella cheese (3 cups packed)
Instructions
Start the meat sauce
- Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and 1/4 tsp of the salt and cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook a minute more.
- Add ground beef and sprinkle with 1 tsp more salt plus the chili flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until no longer pink.
Make ricotta filling
- While beef cooks, stir together ricotta, parmesan and parsley in a large bowl. Set aside.
Finish meat sauce
- Add the tomato paste to the cooked beef mixture and cook until it turns a shade darker and the oil shimmers on top (this toasting step creates a ton of rich flavour!). Stir in whole/diced tomatoes and 1/4 tsp more salt. Turn off heat.
Assemble lasagna in the slow cooker
- Add one cupful of the sauce to Crockpot™ 4-Quart Slow Cooker. Top with 2 lasagna noodles (you will have to break them to fit) and another layer of sauce. Add a layer of ricotta filling, a handful of mozzarella, and repeat until you run out of ingredients. The top layer should be sauce with a generous handful of mozzarella.
- Set the slow cooker to cook for 3 1/2 hours on low. Top with more parsley and serve.
Notes
Tips
- See more details in post for how to layer lasagna.
Substitutions:
- Substitute cottage cheese for the ricotta if you like.
- You may substitute fresh basil for the parsley to top the finished lasagna, however I really recommend parsley in the ricotta filling.
- You may substitute italian sausage (casings removed) for 1/2 of the ground beef if you like.
- I don’t recommend substituting ground turkey for the beef as it tends to dry out with a long cook time.
- To simplify this recipe, swap in 2 x 22-oz jars of storebought marinara sauce. Skip the onions, garlic, tomato paste, and tomatoes. Cook the beef in the oil, then add the marinara sauce and proceed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made this recipe twice and it’s quickly becoming a favorite slow cooker recipe!
Will this work with gluten free noodles?
I am not sure the GF noodles would hold up to a long cook time. You’d have to try it to find out, or ask around on GF facebook groups!