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Slow Cooker Lasagna is the only lasagna recipe my family asks me to make anymore. Try it just once, and you’ll know why! This is by far the easiest and tastiest lasagna you will ever make.
It is so moist and juicy and perfect when entertaining a large group of friends, especially if you’re throwing a dinner party. I have even made this for my kid’s team meals and received rave reviews!
Jump to:
- Why is this the best lasagna recipe?
- 🍅 Ingredients for Lasagna
- 🧀 What’s the best cheese for lasagna?
- Can I substitute cottage cheese?
- Can I leave out the meat?
- Can I use regular lasagna noodles?
- 👪 Serving Size
- 🔪 How to Cook Lasagna
- Make-Ahead Instructions
- Why do I have to add eggs to the ricotta cheese?
- Do you have to cook the meat before adding to the slow cooker?
- ⭐ Family Foodie Tips
- 📖 Best Lasagna Recipes
- 📌 Pin it for later!
- 📋 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
Why is this the best lasagna recipe?
One hint: You don’t have to cook the noodles! Everyone knows what a pain those noodles are to cook and try not to get them to stick. We have that problem solved, don’t cook the noodles. Let them cook in the slow cooker!
Our crockpot lasagna literally cooks on its own! Just assemble it in the crockpot in the morning and walk away. It will slow cook on low all day long and have your house smelling so good. Slow Cooker recipes are the best!
It is the easiest lasagna recipe!
The best part about this easy lasagna recipe is that it only requires 15 minutes of prep time. If you can layer ingredients, you can make our crockpot lasagna recipe. It’s the easiest lasagna recipe you will ever make.
The flavors in this meat lasagna recipe marinate and build all day long as it cooks in the crockpot.
You won’t even have to call the family to dinner! The wonderful smell of this cheesy lasagna recipe will do it for you. Slow Cooker Lasagna is perfect for an easy weeknight meal prep dinner or Sunday supper!
🍅 Ingredients for Lasagna
- olive oil
- ground beef (we recommend 80/20 blend)
- ground mild Italian sausage
- medium onion, chopped very fine
- garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon of minced garlic)
- marinara tomato sauce
- Italian seasoning
- ricotta cheese
- eggs
- parsley, chopped (optional)
- mozzarella cheese, shredded (large shred, not fine shred)
- Parmesan cheese, grated
- lasagna noodles, uncooked oven-ready
- salt and pepper to taste
🧀 What’s the best cheese for lasagna?
We use three types of cheese in our slow cooker lasagna. The best cheese for lasagna includes a lightly seasoned ricotta, large shred mozzarella, and grated Parmesan.
Can I substitute cottage cheese?
Yes! You can use cottage cheese instead of ricotta if you prefer. You can even use a mix of cottage cheese with extra Parmesan.
Can I leave out the meat?
Yes, absolutely. You can leave out the meat and substitute vegetables if you’d like to. Thinly sliced carrots, zucchini, spinach, and squash are perfect in this recipe!
Check out our Vegetarian Lasagna Recipe. It is also so delicious.
Can I use regular lasagna noodles?
You can use regular lasagna noodles. You will have to increase the liquid, the tomato sauce, by one cup. You can divide a little extra sauce into each layer. Regular noodles require a bit more liquid to cook properly.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe feeds approximately 12-15 people. I love to entertain and this is my go-to recipe. You will need a large oval 8-quart Crock-Pot.
If you prefer small amounts, jut cut the recipe in half and use a small round 5-quart Crock-pot.
🔪 How to Cook Lasagna
This easy Italian slow cooker recipe is created by layering uncooked, oven-ready, lasagna noodles with a meat sauce and three types of cheese. It’s so easy!
How to Make Meat Sauce
- In a large skillet over medium heat, slowly cook the onion until lightly brown.
- Add the garlic and continue to stir until browned,
- Add the ground beef and sausage and cook while breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned.
- Stir the tomato sauce into the cooked meat.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning and simmer on low for approximately 30 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. This is your lasagna meat sauce.
Family Foodie recipe tip: If you want to serve additional meat sauce on the side, I recommend doubling the meat sauce.
Looking for an even simpler sauce recipe? Try our best meatball sauce recipe. It’s perfect for meatballs, pasta, and more.
How to Layer Lasagna
- In a medium bowl make the cheese mixture. Combine ricotta cheese, the eggs, ½ cup of Parmesan cheese, parsley, and salt and pepper.
- Cover the bottom of the greased slow cooker with 1 cup of the meat sauce. This is very important to start with the sauce at the bottom!
- Top with the uncooked, oven-ready, lasagna noodle. You will have to cut the lasagna noodles in order to fit the slow cooker.
- Cover with ¼ of the ricotta mixture. Sprinkle with approximately ¼ of the mozzarella cheese and Parmesan.
- Repeat the layers again: sauce, noodles, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
- Repeat the layers a fourth time, then, for the final layer, top the cheese with one last layer of noodles and cover with about 1 cup of the meat sauce.
- Top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Place the slow cooker on low for approximately 7 hours and bake covered. Once the top cheese is bubbling, switch the slow cooker to warm for approximately 1 hour or until ready to serve.
Family Foodie Tip: This is an important step. It will give the noodles and cheese time to firm up a bit and will enable you to serve the lasagna without falling apart. - Once ready to serve, cut the lasagna into squares with a knife and use a metal serving spatula to serve.
Family Foodie Tip: You will want to cut smaller pieces since this lasagna is very deep.
Note: If you are cooking for a crowd, you will need a large oval crockpot for this recipe. If you make ½ the recipe, you can use a small round slow cooker.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can easily assemble your ingredients the day before cooking, then set it to cook in the morning!
Simply assemble as instructed, place in the refrigerator overnight, then place it back in the slow cooker and turn on in the morning. Enjoy!
Why do I have to add eggs to the ricotta cheese?
Adding egg helps hold the cheese together so it doesn’t ooze out of the lasagna. It also helps hold the lasagna together as it cools.
Do you have to cook the meat before adding to the slow cooker?
The meat needs to be cooked before layering with the noodles and cheese in the slow cooker.
Make-ahead tip: You can save cook time on the day by cooking the spaghetti sauce the night before and refrigerating until needed.
⭐ Family Foodie Tips
Top Tip: Make sure to add a layer of the sauce at the bottom of the slow cooker so the lasagna won’t burn!
- How much salt and pepper you add to the meat sauce will depend on how much is in the marinara sauce. Adjust the seasonings as needed.
- Save time by cooking the meat the night before and refrigerating until ready to assemble the lasagna.
- Be sure to drain any fat from the sausage and ground beef before adding the marinara sauce.
- Make sure to let the lasagna rest on warm for at least 30 minutes before serving. This will ensure the lasagna doesn’t fall apart.
Our Meatball Sauce is out of this world! It is perfect if you want to serve meatballs on the side of your lasagna. You haven’t lived until you try our air fryer meatballs.
📖 Best Lasagna Recipes
Try some of our other favorite Sunday Dinner Ideas:
- Instant Pot Lasagna
- Cast Iron Skillet Lasagna
- Healthy Make Ahead Lasagna
- Mexican Lasagna with Corn Tortillas
- Lasagna for Two
Love pasta? Get even more Comfort Food Pasta Recipes like this one!
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📋 Recipe
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound Italian sausage removed from casing
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced, or 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
- 8 cups tomato marinara sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 32 ounces ricotta cheese
- ½ cup freshly chopped parsley optional
- 2 pounds low-moisture mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pound uncooked lasagna noodles oven-ready variety
- 4 eggs
- 1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, slowly cook the onion until lightly brown. Add the garlic and continue to stir until browned.Add the ground beef and sausage and cook while breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned. Stir the tomato sauce into the cooked meat. Stir in the Italian seasoning and simmer on low for approximately 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat. This is your lasagna meat sauce.
- Stir in the marinara sauce into the cooked meat. Stir in the Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper.Simmer for approximately 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, eggs, Parmesan, parsley (optional) and salt and pepper to taste.Cover the bottom of the greased slow cooker with 1 cup of the meat sauce. This is very important to start with the sauce at the bottom!
- Top with the uncooked, oven-ready, lasagna noodle. You will have to cut the lasagna noodles in order to fit the slow cooker.
- Add a ladle of the meat sauce and then the ricotta mixture (about ¼ of the mixture). Top with the mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Repeat the layers three times. Top the last layer with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Set the slow cooker to low and cook for approximately 7 hours, until the mixture is bubbly and the noodles have cooked through. The lasagna can also cook on low for 6-8 hours. Set the slow cooker on warm and allow the lasagna to rest. This will enable the lasagna to set and allow you to cut through without it falling apart. Serve with additional meat sauce and parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- This recipe feeds approximately 12-15 people. I love to entertain and this is my go-to recipe. You will need a large oval 8-quart Crock-Pot. If you prefer small amounts, jut cut the recipe in half and use a small round 5-quart Crock-pot.
- If you want to serve additional meat sauce on top of the lasagna, I recommend doubling the meat sauce.
- You will want to slice this lasagna into smaller pieces since it is a deep dish.
Nutrition
Photo Credit: Tara Margetson
Colleen says
I’ve never made lasgana in the slow cooker, but this looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it.
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Colleen! We would love to know what you think of it!
Dannii says
Lasagna is the ultimate comfort food and this looks delicious.
Em Beitel says
Totally agreed, Dannii. Thank you for your comment!
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
I make lasagne a lot for my husband as he adores it and I love it too, but I’ve never tried making it in the slow cooker before! I need to as this looks amazing and I do love my slow cooker!
Em Beitel says
It is amazing in the slow cooker! Thank you so much for your comment. We would love to know what you and your husband think of this recipe!
MaryAnne says
Can you use regular lasagna noodles
Em Beitel says
Hi MaryAnne! Yes, you can use regular lasagna noodles. However, if you use regular lasagna noodles, you will want to add more sauce in between each layer because it will absorb more liquid. We’re looking forward to hearing what you think of this recipe! Thank you for your question!
Melissa says
How many eggs do you use? Would love to try this and am looking forward to it all sticking together and staying where it should.
Em Beitel says
Hi Melissa! We used 4 eggs and have adjusted the recipe to reflect that. Thank you so much for your question! Please let us know how you like it!
Bonnie says
What size crockpot is used here?
Em Beitel says
Hi Bonnie! We use a 6 quart slow cooker. Thank you for your question!
Ellie says
Can you use gf refrigerated lasagna noodles?
Em Beitel says
Hi Ellie! We would not recommend using refrigerated noodles. You can use gluten-free dry noodles. We recommend lowering the cook time to about 5 hours for gluten-free. Thank you for your question!
Becky says
I would love to make this however there’s only 2 of us could you please tell me how to cut this recipe in half and the exact amount of every ingredient that I use Also is it necessary to use the minced garlic could I use garlic powder or garlic salt? Also can I Use vegetable oil instead of olive oil? I’m new at this please bear with me. Thank you and in advance.
Em Beitel says
Hi Becky! You can easily halve this recipe by simply halving the ingredients. So for reference…
½ tablespoon vegetable oil
½ pound ground beef
½ pound Italian sausage removed from casing
½ medium onion finely chopped
½ tsp. garlic powder or garlic salt – if you’re using garlic salt, use less regular salt when you season
4 cups tomato marinara sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
16 ounces ricotta cheese
¼ cup freshly chopped parsley optional
1 pounds low-moisture mozzarella cheese shredded
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ pound uncooked lasagna noodles oven-ready variety
2 eggs
½ Tbsp. Italian seasoning
I hope this helps. We included the garlic powder/garlic salt measurements in there for you and yes, you can use vegetable oil instead of olive oil. We would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Rebecca says
Can you cook this on high instead of low? If so, would it just be 3.5 hours?
Em Beitel says
Hi Rebecca! We don’t recommend cooking this dish on high. The lasagna is thick, so it will need to cook low and slow. Thank you for your question!