Slow Cooker Lasagna

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Lasagna just got easier to make with this crockpot version! This Slow Cooker Lasagna recipe features a meaty sauce, three cheeses and uncooked lasagna pasta sheets that are layered and cooked low and slow in a crockpot. Based on my classic Lasagna Recipe, this is a simpler version with less steps because we use raw pasta. Grab the garlic bread because we are having Lasagna tonight!

Lasagna Basics

Every lasagna, whether its a slow cooker recipe or a classic oven-baked version, is made up of three basic parts that are layered together and baked.

Lasagna Noodles

If you are making a traditional lasagna, then you would boil your noodles first to soften them, and layer them up in your 9×13 or casserole dish. For this crockpot lasagna, you use those same pasta sheets, but you layer them up in your crockpot raw and they cook right along with everything else. It works perfectly!

Cheese Filling

I like using a mixture of cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese in my lasagna. Of course ricotta is the traditional choice and can be substituted 1:1. Use a 4% or higher cottage cheese OR whole milk ricotta, if using. Lasagna is meant to be decadent, after all.

Meat Sauce

While in my classic recipe, I recommend making the sauce well in advance and making sure it is very thick, that is not required for this recipe. You want it a little loose because that extra moisture helps cook the pasta sheets. And, with this spending a good two hours in the slow cooker, it does a nice job adding that slow cooked flavor.

How to Make this Crockpot Lasagna in a Slow Cooker

While this isn’t as fast as some of my other crockpot recipes, this certainly is a quicker way to make lasagna! Because we are skipping a step and not boiling the lasagna noodles, we only have to worry about making the meat sauce and stirring up the cheese filling. The we layer it up in a cold crockpot and let it rip for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until it’s meaty and cheesy perfection.

Make the Meat Sauce

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in diced onion and ground beef. Break beef apart as it browns. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add in tomato paste, basil, oregano and salt and cook 2-3 minutes or until the tomato paste starts to brown the bottom of the pan. (Not burn, but just brown slightly.) Immediately add in marinara sauce, bay leaves, water and sugar. Stir and bing to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook 30 minutes.

Make the Cheese Filling

In a large bowl, stir together the cottage cheese, parmesan cheese, part of the mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper and basil until well combined. Set this aside.

Layer in the Slow Cooker

Spray a cold crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Add 1/2-3/4 cup of sauce in the bottom. Layer with pieces of raw lasagna pasta sheets. It’s ok if you break them into smaller pieces to make them fit. Top the pasta sheets with 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Then add enough sauce to cover the noodles. Repeat this process until you have layered the cheese three times. Top with sauce, another layer of noodles and more sauce, finishing with a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. So here is an easier way to remember it:

Correct Lasagna Layers

1. Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray
2. Add a little sauce to the bottom of the crockpot to help prevent sticking.
3. Lasagna pasta sheets
4. 1/3 cheese mixture
5. 1/4 of the sauce
6. Lasagna pasta sheets
7. 1/3 cheese mixture
8. 1/4 sauce
9. Lasagna pasta sheets
10. 1/3 cheese mixture
11. 1/4 sauce
12. Lasagna pasta sheets
13. Last of the sauce
14. Mozzarella cheese

Cover and Cook

Add the lid to the top of the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours OR until the pasta is al dente. Alternately, you can cook this for 3 hours on low. Again, it is done when the pasta is al dente. Turn crockpot off completely and set aside to rest. This will make it easier to serve. Cut into pieces and serve.

Lasagnas made in crockpots or slow cookers are pretty thick, so I’d recommend cutting smaller, taller pieces or you can cut larger pieces and divide them in half horizontally. Or just live your life and eat the huge mile high lasagna!

Storing Directions

Store any leftover lasagna in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, simply microwave until hot.

Beware of Overcooking Your Pasta

The set it and forget it mentality of general crockpot cooking should not apply to this recipe. While this can work for any other recipe, because we are cooking pasta in a slow cooker, we need to be careful that it doesn’t OVER cook and get mushy. Of course every crockpot is a little different and will have slightly different cooking times. A good rule of thumb is to start checking at 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Other Lasagna Recipes to Try

While I would highly recommend trying this slow cooker lasagna as a new way to enjoy lasagna, here are some other lasagna recipes I’ve made through the years.

• Chicken Lasagna
• White Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna
• Lasagna Cups
• Skillet Lasagna
• Lasagna Dip
• Classic Lasagna Recipe

Favorite Sides to Serve with this Slow Cooker Lasagna

I am sharing a few of my all time favorite sides not just to have with lasagna, but to have with any meal. These are family favorites across the board and I know you all will love them as much as we do!

• Caprese Salad
• Caesar Salad
• Strawberry Salad (my favorite!)
• Garlic Bread
• Craigo’s Breadsticks
• Iceberg Wedge Salad
• See a full list of side dishes for lasagna

So there you have it! An easier way to make a lasagna in a slow cooker! I hope you love it as much as me and my family did. It was a favorite for sure. Have a great day, friends!