Crockpot Slow Cooker Lasagna
This Crockpot Slow Cooker Lasagna is so delicious. The slow cooker does double duty: it creates a rich, meat sauce and "bakes" the lasagna in one step.
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: slow cooker lasagna
Servings: 6
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)
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.
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.
Tips
- See more details in post for how to layer lasagna.
Substitutions:
- I don't recommend substituting cottage cheese for the ricotta. It has a slimy texture not authentic to classic lasagna.
- 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.
Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 975mg | Potassium: 304mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 427IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 2mg