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Slow Cooker Lasagna is an easy recipe for your favorite lasagna. This Italian dish cooks in your crockpot while you go about your day. It is hearty and flavorful, using ground sausage and beef, rich tomatoes, vegetables and a creamy cheese mixture.
For some reason Italian food has been on repeat at my house lately.
Thank goodness no one is complaining. You might have seen last week’s post for a hearty bolognese style Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce. This week I am sharing a hearty Slow Cooker Lasagna. As we approach spring and start grilling and filling out plates with fresh salads, I feel the need to fit a few more meals that involve my favorite comfort foods.
Today’s Slow Cooker Lasagna is my favorite way to make lasagna. But this is easy and with three kids running around, making a traditional lasagna can be time consuming. If you haven’t jumped on the crockpot lasagna bandwagon, you should give it a try!
If you like Italian style recipes you also might like this Easy Baked Rigatoni with Chicken Meatballs, Skillet Beef Lasagna, Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta or this Lemon Shrimp and Orzo.
Recipe Ingredients
You will love this easy recipe and the simple ingredients it uses for the marinade ingredients. It is one of my favorite recipes!
- Ground beef and Italian pork sausage are the stars of this recipe. You can use whatever ground meat you like or sub in mushrooms instead of meat.
- The tomato sauce, paste and diced tomatoes create the flavorful sauce so use your favorite brand for maximum flavor.
- The diced vegetables adds texture and of course flavor. Don’t skip those!
- Herbs and spices are always your friend. I used oregano, thyme and fresh parsley and basil. Use whatever you fancy!
- The cheese mixture creates the creaminess you love in lasagna. You can use whole milk ricotta cheese and whatever type of cottage cheese you like. It will still come out the same!
Ways to Modify this Lasagna Recipe
- Meat: I used ground beef and Italian pork sausage in this recipe but you can use whatever you would like. Ground turkey, chicken or pork works nicely.
- Vegetables: You can eliminate the meat all together and make this a veggie lasagna. Try bulking it up more with vegetables, like mushrooms and zucchini.
- Sauce: If you want to take a shortcut you can use you can buy your favorite store bought tomato sauce in place of the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
- Herbs: Herbs and spices are a great addition to the lasagna. I suggest stirring them into the sauce. Try fresh basil, fresh parsley or fresh oregano or you can use Italian seasoning.
How to Make Crockpot Lasagna
Step 1: Cook Meat: In a large pot heat 2 Tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and the sausage, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cook until it is browned, about 5 minutes. Drain the fat and return to the pot.
Step 2: Add Sauce Ingredients: Add in the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, thyme and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside.
Step 3: Create Cheese Mixture: In another mixing bowl combine 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese and mix well.
Step 4: Layer Lasagna: Spray your slow cooker with a non-stick spray. In a slow cooker spread an even layer of the meat sauce on the bottom. Layer three noodles on top of the sauce, breaking them as you need to fit them. Follow with another even layer of meat sauce, then the cheese mixture, then noodles and repeat two more times. You should end with sauce on top of noodles. Spread the 1 remaining cup of mozzarella cheese over top of the sauce.
Step 5: Slow Cook: Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, or until the cheese is just bubbling and the noodles are soft. Make sure not to overcook or the noodles will become tough. Remove the lid, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley and basil. Serve warm.
Recipe Tip: When cooking this lasagna on low I suggest checking it at the 3 hour mark. My lasagna is usually done at this point. If not, cover and cook another 30 minutes and check.
Storage Tips
- Store the lasagna in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat you can heat in the microwave or the oven.
- You also can freeze this. Let it cool completely and then store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Pasta Recipes
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Slow Cooker Lasagna
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound Italian pork sausage, casings removed
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery , diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 9-10 lasagna noodles
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided, shredded
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese, part-skim
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- parsley, Fresh
- basil, Fresh
Instructions
- In a large pot heat 2 Tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and the sausage, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Cook until it is browned, about 5 minutes. Drain the fat and return to the pot.
- Add in the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, oregano, thyme and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside.
- In another mixing bowl combine 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese, 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese and mix well.
- Spray your slow cooker with a non-stick spray.
- In a slow cooker spread an even layer of the meat sauce on the bottom. Layer three noodles on top of the sauce, breaking them as you need to fit them. Follow with another even layer of meat sauce, then the cheese mixture, then noodles and repeat two more times. You should end with sauce on top of noodles.
- Spread the 1 remaining cup of mozzarella cheese over top of the sauce.
- Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, or until the cheese is just bubbling and the noodles are soft. Make sure not to overcook or the noodles will become tough. Remove the lid, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley and basil. Serve warm.
Notes
- Keep the leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- You can use a combination of whatever ground meat you like.
- When I make this, it cooks for about 3 hours and is done. I suggest checking it at this point and then cooking longer if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
This sounds so good! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us, Julia! I’ve added the ingredients to my grocery list and can hardly wait to try it.
One question: I’ve never done noodles in the slow cooker. Does it make them soggy when they’re in the slow cooker for so long?
They are not soggy if you cook them to about 3 hours on low. They come out perfectly for me. I check it at the three hour mark and if they are not soft I cook for another 30 minutes to an hour. Hope you try it!
Thank you, Julia! Yes, I’m going to try it the nearest future.
This looks great! I’ve been wanting to make lasagne but I’m always put off thinking how long it’s going to take to prepare.
Thanks! You should try this recipe-it is a game changer!