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This Slow Cooker Lasagna is the perfect recipe to try when you’re looking to make a homemade lasagna your whole family will enjoy. Traditional ingredients are layered in the crock pot and cooked in just a few hours, making this an excellent choice for dinner tonight.
Stay warm in the cooler months by enjoying another form of lasagna. Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup, Slow Cooker White Lasagna Soup, or Ravioli Lasagna recipes are what you need to do just that.
Table of Contents
Can I make lasagna in a crock pot?
Like most of us, you’re probably most familiar with the oven version of traditional lasagna, which is usually prepared in a baking dish and cooked in the oven. Even though the frozen store-bought kind will cook a bit faster than this, it will pale in comparison where flavor is concerned.
With this easy crockpot lasagna recipe, you can prepare, cover, and cook without turning on the oven and heating up your kitchen. You’ll end up with evenly cooked noodles, a delicious cheese filling, and perfectly melted cheese on top.
Recipe Ingredients
- Cooking Spray: You’ll use this to prepare your slow cooker to keep the lasagna from sticking.
- Ground Beef: I recommend using beef with the lowest fat content (96/4 or 93/7 are two of the best you can get at a local grocery store).
- Lasagna Noodles: I use the Barilla brand; these are not no-boil lasagna noodles. These are regular lasagna noodles. You will be using these noodles uncooked. I usually don’t recommend adding uncooked noodles to the slow cooker, but for lasagna, they cook up perfectly – it’s magic!
- Meat Mixture Ingredients: In addition to the beef, onion, Rao’s marinara sauce, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and water are mixed to make the tasty meat mixture.
- Cheese Mixture: Ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, salt, parsley, and garlic powder, combined to make the cheese filling.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Brown the ground beef over medium heat with diced onion and season it with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
Step Two – Add sauce to the ground beef onion mix.
Step Three – Stir the sauce and the cooked and seasoned ground beef together.
Step Four – Add the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese in a medium bowl. Also, add the salt, parsley, garlic powder, and two eggs whisked. Stir everything together until well combined.
Step Five – Pour a cup and a half of the meat mixture into a cooking spray-prepped crock pot.
Step Six – Add a 1/4 of the box of uncooked lasagna noodles on top (broken in half).
Step Seven – Add another layer of the meat sauce mixture, followed by a third of the cheese filling. Repeat this layering 3 more times, then finish off with the remaining sauce.
Step Eight – Top with remaining mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time. Serve and enjoy! (See the full instructions in the recipe card for EXACT measurements).
What to serve with Lasagna
- Pull out the authentic Italian flavor of this crockpot lasagna by serving it with butter-brushed garlic breadsticks (or slices of garlic bread).
- Add a fresh take on the meal by adding a tomato and feta side salad for fresh greens.
- Roasted veggies make a fantastic side addition to this slow cooker lasagna, especially these Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Carrots.
- Sprinkle the lasagna with grated parmesan, red pepper flakes, and parsley for a nice garnish.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, of course! Using cottage cheese instead of ricotta can be more budget friendly. The lasagna will be even moister if you use cottage cheese.
Instead of using ground beef, you can make it a vegetarian lasagna by including diced tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh basil, zucchini, squash, and other veggies of your choice.
Of course! Other good meat options are ground turkey or Italian sausage. You can also use a meat sauce to add to the meaty flavor.
Yes. Make the lasagna in a freezer container and store it for up to 3 months.
Add any leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I would turn it to the warm setting, but only for an hour or so. This will keep it from burning, though beware, the noodles will become softer the longer it is on the warm setting.
You can easily substitute marinara for homemade pasta sauce or your favorite jarred spaghetti or pasta sauces.
If you are used to more beef in your lasagna, you can use two pounds of ground beef instead of one.
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Slow Cooker Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- non-stick cooking spray
- 16 oz. lasagna noodles, (uncooked) I use Barilla brand – Regular lasagna noodles, not no boil noodles.
Meat Mixture
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. ground pepper
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 48 oz. Rao's Marinara Sauce, (two 24-oz. jars)
- 1 cup water
Cheese Mixture
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 15 oz. whole milk ricotta
- 1 cup shredded parmesan
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. dried parsley, or dried oregano or Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
Topping
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese
- dried parsley for garnish , (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet brown the meat with the onion. Season the meat with the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Cook your beef until no longer pink. You shouldn't have to drain your meat unless you use very fatty beef.
- Pour the marinara sauce in, along with the water. Stir and set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl. Whisk the 2 eggs with a fork. Now add the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Add the salt, parsley and garlic powder, stir.
- Before you start layering. Separate the lasagna noodles into 4 evenish piles. Every box varies. I usually do 4-5 noodles per layer depending on how many noodles are in the box each time I make it.
- Spray slow cooker with non stick spray. Now it's time to layer. The exact layers are listed below:
- 1.5 cups meat sauce mixture (bottom layer) 4-5 lasagna noodles, can be broken up and can be stacked (1/4 of the box)1.5 cups meat sauce1/3 of the cheese mixture (dollop it on, then spread it out)4-5 lasagna noodles (1/4 of the box)1.5 cups meat sauce1/3 of the cheese mixture4-5 lasagna noodles (1/4 of the box)1.5 cups meat sauce1/3 cup cheese mixture4-5 Lasagna noodles (1/4 of the box)Remaining meat sauce – This will be a little over 2 cups; use it all.2 cups mozzarella – Sprinkle evenly on top.
- Cook on LOW for 4 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Serve and enjoy! Sprinkle with parsley if desired for garnish.
How to Video
Sarah’s Notes
- If your layers get out of order, don’t fret. It will still turn out great!
- Rao’s sauce can be spendy. I find it drastically cheaper at Walmart compared to other stores and be sure to stock up if you ever see it on sale. The flavor of it can’t be beat.
- Tempted to make changes to the recipe? Be careful to make changes for this recipe has been tested and has the perfect amount of liquid to cook the noodles properly.
- If you are used to more beef in your lasagna, you can use two pounds of ground beef instead of one. (Or use one pound of Italian sausage and one pound beef!).
- If you want a lasagna just like grandma made, use cottage cheese instead of ricotta!
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Absolutely delicious! I halfed the recipe and put it in my casserole crock pot. I used half ground beef half ground turkey, low fat cottage cheese, added chopped zucchini and chopped mushrooms trying to be a little healthier. Everything else was pretty much following the recipe. Timing was spot on and came out saucy and perfectly seasoned and cooked.
That’s great to hear. Glad you enjoyed it.