Amazing Crockpot Lasagna
Published 8/29/2023 • Updated 3/17/2024
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This crockpot lasagna recipe has 5-stars for a reason! It cooks in the slow cooker and is made with uncooked lasagna noodles, a creamy cheese layer, and a simple meat layer made with marinara.
Lasagna gets a bad rap for being a time-consuming dinner recipe that, though delicious, has too many steps to make for a quick meal during the week. I am here to tell you that you can have your lasagna and eat it too with this crockpot lasagna recipe!
Our crockpot lasagna is easy to assemble and even easier to cook! Simply layer uncooked noodles with a cheese layer and meat sauce layer and let your slow cooker work its magic!
Featured Comment
“I made the recipe as described and my family was FLOORED with it! It was the best lasagne I have ever had. I have to admit, I was scared that the noodles would not all turn out soft, but they did! Delicious, EASY, and going to make again and again!” -Lynnann
What You Need for Crockpot Lasagna
- Lasagna Noodles- We used classic uncooked lasagna noodles for this recipe. Any brand will do. Some lasagna noodles are longer than others (we used shorter noodles) and any variety will work for this recipe. Just know you may have to break your lasagna noodles to fit your crockpot.
- Ground beef: we used an 80/20 ground beef.
- Marinara Sauce- feel free to buy your favorite jarred marinara sauce or make our homemade marinara sauce.
- Tomato Sauce- We use both marinara sauce and tomato sauce because we wanted a really saucy lasagna sauce that had both flavor and enough sauce to cook the noodles! If you want your lasagna to be even saucier than this one, feel free to add more tomato sauce.
- Carrots + Celery- Every good Italian recipe is made from a base that contains carrots and celery. Carrots and celery add complex flavor AND crunch to this tasty lasagna recipe.
- Onion + Garlic- We used one full-onion and delicious garlic to flavor the meat sauce. Trust me, you won’t regret the onion and garlic in this recipe.
- Cheese Mixture- Say hello to the most delicious cheese mixture known to man. This cheese mixture is made with ricotta cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, and our favorite Italian seasoning.
Ingredient Swaps & Substitutions for Crockpot Lasagna
We understand that everyone is different and that you may need to make substitutions to your crockpot lasagna recipe! Here are some easy substitutions to make this lasagna your own!
Ground Beef—> ground pork, ground chicken, or ground turkey
Tomato Sauce–> Alfredo sauce or cashew cream sauce
Carrots + Celery –> sweet peppers, zucchini, squash or eggplant
Onions–> shallot
Cheese —> vegan cheese, dairy-free cottage cheese
Lasagna noodles –> Feel free to use regular lasagna noodles or whole wheat noodles. We have NOT tested this recipe with gluten-free noodles, but that is another option for you!
flavorful
Italian Seasoning
Forget the boring, store-bought Italian seasoning. This homemade Italian seasoning is the perfect mixture.
Crockpot Lasagna FAQ
Before you start mixing up your crockpot lasagna, check out these most commonly asked questions, tips, and tricks for making crockpot lasagna!
This crockpot lasagna takes about 2 hours on high to cook! You will want to double-check that every layer of the lasagna is cooked before turning the slow cooker off and cutting the lasagna into pieces.
No, you do not have to cook the lasagna noodles before putting them in the slow cooker! That is one thing we love about this recipe!
Here’s a tip–> Make sure that all the lasagna noodles are covered in sauce or they won’t cook all the way!
Before layering the lasagna in the crockpot, spray it with non-stick cooking spray or wipe it with olive oil! This will ensure that your lasagna will not stick to the sides or the bottom of the slow cooker.
Yes, you can make this lasagna vegetarian by cutting the ground beef from this recipe and using extra vegetables, sofrito, or shredded jackfruit.
Storage
Let the lasagna cool completely and then cut it into pieces. Place the lasagna pieces in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Can I freeze this crockpot lasagna?
- Yes, you can freeze crockpot lasagna. To freeze crockpot lasagna–> cook lasagna by following the directions in the recipe card. Let the lasagna cool completely and then cut it into pieces.
- Transfer the lasagna into a freezer safe storage container (or gallon-size plastic bag) and remove as much air as possible.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw and cook
Let the lasagna thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then transfer it into the microwave and cook for 3-5 minutes or reheat it in the oven at 350ºF for 30 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This lasagna makes for a fabulous weeknight main or holiday dinner recipe. Serve it with a Caesar salad, sautéed green beans, and cheesy garlic bread.
CrockPot Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- Cheese Layer
- 15 oz. full-fat ricotta cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Meat Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, finely diced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large carrots, finely diced
- 2 large celery stalks, finely diced
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 24 oz. jar marinara sauce, any kind
- 15 oz. tomato sauce
- Other
- 12 oz. uncooked lasagna noodles
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese for topping
- Fresh parsley, for serving
Instructions
- First, prepare the cheese layer. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, 1 cup parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, and salt. Mix well and set aside for later.
- Prepare the meat sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or saucepan over medium/high heat.
- When olive oil is fragrant, add onions, salt, carrot, and celery to the pan. Saute on medium/high for 5-7 minutes.
- Next, add ground beef to the pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes until the beef is almost cooked fully.
- Add the marinara sauce and tomato sauce to the pan and mix until all ingredients are combined. Bring to a boil and then immediately remove from the heat.
- Assemble the lasagna. Begin by greasing the slow cooker with olive oil or cooking spray.
- Using a 1/3 cup scoop, scoop 1/3 cup of the sauce onto the bottom of the slow cooker. Spread the sauce around evenly.
- Next, place two lasagna noodles onto the bottom of the slow cooker, lengthwise. Break a separate lasagna noodle into fourths and place 1/4 of a noodle at each end of the long lasagna noodles.*
- Spoon 1/4 cup of the cheese mixture over the noodles and spread it out evenly using a spoon or spatula. Finally, spread out 2/3 cup of sauce on top of the cheese.
- Repeat this process until all of the sauce, cheese, and noodles are gone. Make sure that the last layer is a layer of sauce and that the noodles are fully coated. If you let the noodles cook without sauce on top, they will end up hard.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours. With 30 minutes left, add the last half cup of mozzarella cheese to the top of the lasagna.
- Uncover the slow cooker and cut the lasagna into even lasagna pieces and enjoy!
Tips & Notes
- How you arrange the lasagna noodles may vary depending on what brand of lasagna noodles are used. The most important thing is that the lasagna noodles create a noodle layer.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made the recipe as described and my family was FLOORED with it! It was the best lasagne I have ever had. I have to admit, I was scared that the noodles would not all turn out soft, but they did! Delicious, EASY, and going to make again and again!
This recipe is mind glowingly GOOD!!! Fantastic and delicious!! Took me a while to put together, but well worth the effort! 😀
Will this recipe (especially the amount of sauce) be enough for a 3.5qt crockpot?
I ran out of sauce halfway through! I had to improvise with ground turkey, another jar of sauce that I had, and a cup of water. I didn’t have time to cut up any more vegetables. I want to try this again and double the amount of meat and sauce without doubling the vegetables.
Can I cook this on low for longer instead of on high for 2.5 hours?