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Crockpot Lasagna

4.73 from 90 votes
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posted: 07/24/22

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This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy

Crockpot Lasagna is a delicious slow cooker meal with the best sauce ever. Make this recipe and come home to an amazing and comforting dinner.

side view of a slow cooker full of crockpot lasagna

I’m not sure if there is anything that says comfort food to me in the same way lasagna does. Noodles, delicious sauce, and cheese come together in a magical way to make a dinner that just the smell of makes you feel warm inside.

This Crockpot Lasagna is everything you love about a traditional lasagna without boiling noodles or the need to be home while it cooks. Our slow cooker lasagna comes together while you are busy dealing with other things, and is perfect to come home to. Your family will love this amazing and delicious recipe.

Reader Review

Positively the best lasagna ive ever had! Easy Peasy!! Don’t have to worry about heating up the house with the oven in the summer time!

Why Make Lasagna In a Crockpot

The major benefit to this recipe versus lasagna in the oven is that you don’t have to be home while it cooks. In a world where we are often running kids here and there and leading busy lives, the ability to leave the house to get stuff done while dinner cooks is priceless.

close up side view of a piece of crockpot lasagna recipe

How to Make Crockpot Lasagna

This is just a brief overview of the recipe so you can see how it comes together. Make sure you get the full instructions and ingredient measurements in the recipe card below.

  1. Make the sauce. Browne ground beef garlic and onion. Next add tomato sauce, tomato paste and seasonings.
  2. Make the filling. In a bowl mix together ricotta cheese, eggs, and Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.
  3. Put it all together. Add a small amount of sauce to a greased crockpot. Layer uncooked lasagna noodles (you may have to break them up to fit). Add a layer of the cheese and egg mixture. Repeat the layers until you’ve used all the ingredients.
  4. Add cheese to the top. Cover the last layer with more mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
  5. Cook on low for about 4-6 hours.

Skip Boiling the Noodles

One of the things we love about this recipe is that there is no need to cook the noodles before layering the lasagna. There is enough liquid in the tomato sauce mixture to cook the noodles thoroughly. A huge bonus is that they take on the flavor of the delicious sauce. Everything bakes up brown and bubbly right there in the crockpot.

Please note that we are using regular lasagna sheets. This recipe has not been tested with the no boil sheets.

The Best Lasagna Sauce

The sauce in this lasagna is seriously the most incredible meat sauce you’ll ever taste! It comes together with simple ingredients and can be used on lots of other pasta dishes. It’s thick and rich without being too spicy or overbearing. Trust me, when I tell you it is the star of the whole recipe!

Shredding Your Own Cheese

Another vote here for shredding your own cheese from a block rather than buying pre shredded cheese. You will see me advocate for this in a lot recipes – most recently in my Spinach Artichoke Dip.

The reason I always make a point of saying this is because it really can make a huge difference in a recipe. Pre shredded cheese does not melt as well as block cheese you shred at home. It is covered in preservatives that help it keep its shredded form, but also keeps it from melting well. I firmly believe you won’t be as satisfied with the results if you use pre-shredded cheese.

Please take the extra five minutes to do this, it is well worth it.

piece of crockpot lasagna on a plate garnished with parsley

A Note on Salt and Pepper

You will notice that I suggest you taste the sauce at the end of making it. This is an important step, please do not skip it. The sauce is delicious and makes the whole recipe. But only if you love it. You should taste it and add more salt and pepper to accommodate your tastes.

Salt can make or break a recipe. Start by adding just a little bit more, tasting, and adding a tiny bit more (I’m talking less than 1/8 teaspoon) until you get the taste you like.

What Noodles to Use

It’s important to get the regular lasagna noodles. You’ll see no-boil noodles right next to them at the grocery story, but do NOT use these. Plain lasagna noodles will work great in this crockpot lasagna recipe.

What Size Crockpot to Use for Crockpot Lasagna

You’ll need at least a six-quart crockpot or larger for this recipe. You’ll notice that the lasagna fills the whole crockpot pictured here. If you have a smaller slow cooker, you can cut the recipe in half for a smaller batch.

Storing and Freezing Leftovers

Since first publishing this, I’ve been told two important things.

  • First, many a reader have told me that this is even better when it is made the day before. I can’t verify this, but given how many have told me, I’m thinking there is something to it.
  • Second, other readers have told me that this freezes very well. They recommend cutting it into slices, flash freezing it in single layers for eight hours, and then storing it in an airtight container.

Leftovers should be eaten within four days. Frozen lasagna can be stored for up to three months. Please use your best discretion when it comes to leftovers.

FAQ

Shouldn’t you make this with no boil noodles?

Nope! The sauce in this recipe is enough to cook the noodles in the crock pot. I have had readers make this with no boil noodles, and they liked it. That being said, I would recommend sticking with regular lasagna sheets.

What can I use in place of ricotta cheese?

Many readers have made this with cottage cheese in place of ricotta. That is not my favorite swap, but if you prefer cottage cheese to ricotta it is a great choice and will work.

What do you mean by tomato sauce?

In the United States, we have canned tomato sauce that is labeled as such and the only ingredient in it is tomatoes. It is pureed tomatoes in which all the seeds, pulp, and skin have been removed. That is what you are looking for.

Can this be made gluten free?

One of my readers told me that they made it with no cook gluten free noodles and it turned out perfect.

Can this recipe be doubled?

If you want to double this recipe, you will need two slow cookers. As you can see, this recipe makes a very full slow cooker of lasagna, it would not work to double it in one slow cooker.

Can this recipe be made in the oven?

Unfortunately, this recipe with these measurements and methods have only been tested in the crockpot. If you want an oven based lasagna recipe, I highly recommend my Turkey Lasagna (which can also be made with ground beef).

overhead view of easy crockpot lasagna in a slow cooker

What to Serve with Crockpot Lasagna

I can’t wait for you to enjoy this cozy crockpot lasagna with your family. Please leave a comment below with questions or comments on this or any of my other recipes. Enjoy!

side view of a piece of crockpot lasagna garnished with fresh parsley
4.73 from 90 votes

Crockpot Lasagna

Serves: 8 servings
(tap # to scale)
Prep: 40 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 40 minutes
Crockpot Lasagna is a delicious slow cooker meal. Make this recipe and come home to a delicious and comforting meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 small yellow onion diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 44 ounces tomato sauce (29 ounce and 15 ounce can of just tomato sauce, not spaghetti sauce with seasoning)
  • 6 ounces tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (if you only have table salt, start with less)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 12 ounces lasagana noodles the regular kind, not the no boil kind
  • 15 ounces ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 16 ounces mozzarella shredded
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef. Cook until it begins to brown, breaking it up as you cook. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Drain the excess fat.
  • Add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, oregano, basil, and pepper to the meat mixture and set aside. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper to taste.
  • Set aside 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. This will be for topping at the end.
  • In a large bowl mix together the ricotto, eggs, and the remainder of the mozzarella and Parmesan.
  • Spray your 6 to 8 quart crockpot with cooking spray. Add a ladle full of the sauce and meat mixture to the bottom. Add a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. You will need to break them and rearrange them to fit. Top the noodles with some of the cheese mixture and then more sauce and meat. Repeat until you have used all the ingredients (save the set aside cheese). Top with the set aside cheese.
  • Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Cooking times on crockpots vary greatly. It was finished in my crockpot after four hours.
Serving: 1serving Calories: 520kcal (26%) Carbohydrates: 30g (10%) Protein: 36g (72%) Fat: 28g (43%) Saturated Fat: 15g (94%) Monounsaturated Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 155mg (52%) Sodium: 2137mg (93%) Potassium: 743mg (21%) Fiber: 5g (21%) Sugar: 10g (11%)
Author: Lisa Longley
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
side view of a piece of crockpot lasagna garnished with fresh parsley

did you make this

Crockpot Lasagna

I’d love to see what you made! Tag me @lisasimplejoy and hashtag it #simplejoyrecipes!

Hi! I'm Lisa Longley, and I am committed to giving you simple dinner ideas and recipes that are easy to make; recipes that will fill your home with joy. I am the owner and author of SimpleJoy.com and I'm so glad that you are here.

Reader Interactions

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  1. Ramona says

    How can I make the ricotta creamy

    • Lisa Longley says

      Ricotta is pretty creamy on its own. I love it just as it is for this recipe.

  2. Donns says

    I made this several times , I used marinara sauce instead of your recipe for a quicker dinner. I never have any any left overs everyone wants seconds. I made it often for company.

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad that this is a hit!

  3. Maria says

    I just made this recipe and it was delicious. I did use the oven ready lasagna noodles because that’s all I had and they worked perfect. I cooked it for 4 and a half hours.

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad you enjoyed this!

  4. Karen says

    Do you need to brown the ground beef on the stove, or can you just break it up raw in the Crockpot & move on with the rest of your Sauce ingredients?

    • Lisa Longley says

      It really needs to be browned.

  5. Peggy H says

    5 stars
    Hi! I started to panic when I made this for the first time. I made 2 batches last Sunday. I was worried that I didn’t layer enough noodles. I only used a total of 12 lasagna noodles per crockpot (3 layers of noodles). But it was perfect! Everybody loved this. It was done in 4 hours on low- even a bit burnt on edges which I loved!!

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad it was a hit!

  6. Reva says

    Could I assemble this the night before, leave in the fridge overnight and then pull it out and start it cooking the next day?

    • Lisa Longley says

      I can’t think of a reason this wouldn’t work except that the noodles might be soggy. If you try it, let me know what you think.

  7. Kristen says

    Wait. Which cheese is the topping? The one without the egg correct?

    • Lisa Longley says

      You are going to pull out 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese and set it aside – that is to go on top. With the cheese you have left, you are going to make the filling and you will add the egg to that.

  8. Tiffany says

    Shredded or grated Parmesan cheese?

    • Lisa Longley says

      Either will work great. I always recommend using cheese that you shred/grate yourself as it will melt better than pre-shredded.

  9. Maureen says

    This came out really good. I did use Italian sausage bulk instead of ground beef though. But very good. Mine only took about 3.5 hours. Definitely a keeper

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m so glad that you like this recipe as much as I do!

  10. Dee says

    My family doesn’t like ricotta or cottage cheese. Can I just use the mozzarella? Thank you!

    • Lisa Longley says

      I’m worried that you will be pretty disappointed with this recipe and the filling if you leave out ricotta.

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