Lasagna just got so much easier with this Slow Cooker Lasagna! Layer everything in the crockpot–even UN-COOKED noodles!
Want to hear something sad? My Dad and oldest brother don’t eat cheese! They wont touch it. No cheddar, no mozzarella, no parmesan…nothing! How can you live a life without cheese??!
That means that Lasagna, one of the most delicious meals of all time, was a rare specialty at our house. Whenever my mom would make it, (usually when Dad was out of town) the rest of us would be SO excited! It was gobbled up in minutes!
She’d typically make this Classic Italian Lasagna recipe. It’s a totally authentic lasagna that uses a simple béchamel white sauce instead of ricotta cheese or cottage cheese. It’s amazing, but takes a little bit of prep and work.
Now that I have a family of my own I’m always looking for ways easy meals or meals I can prep in advance or throw in my crock pot.
This slow cooker lasagna is a WINNER! All of the time consuming parts of lasagna–the many dishes and all the prep, are taken away.
I love that this recipe doesn’t even require you to cook the lasagna noodles before hand. You can use regular lasagna noodles, and then just layer the sauce, noodles and cheese. Lasagna takes about about 4-5 hours to cook on low. If you are really in a rush, you could could slow cooker lasagna on high and it would be done in about half the time!
Who knew you could make delicious homemade lasagna in the crock pot.
How to make Slow Cooker Lasagna:
Prepare the red sauce, first. I make my mom’s awesome homemade spaghetti sauce for the sauce, but you could use any bottled marinara sauce you like.
Add a little sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker.
Top with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. Break them if necessary, to make a single layer.
Spread some of the white cheese sauce mixture over the top.
Repeat for two more layers, ending with red sauce. Sprinkle more cheese all over the top.
Cover and cook on LOW in the slow cooker for 4-5 hours or until the noodles are tender.
TIP: Use slow cooker liners to make clean-up a breeze!
Consider serving this with:
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Slow Cooker Lasagna
Video
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage (I use hot)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large onion , chopped*
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauces
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 29 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 8 ounces lasagna noodles , uncooked
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat brown the ground beef, Italian sausage and onion.
- Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, parsley, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, tomato sauce, sugar, and water. Stir and simmer 15-20 minutes. (You could make the sauce in advance!)
- Spread a fourth of the meat sauce into the bottom of your slow cooker. Arrange a third of the noodles over the sauce (break the noodles to fit, if necessary).
- Combine the mozzarella, cottage cheese and parmesan cheese; spoon a third of the mixture over noodles. Repeat layers twice.
- Top with remaining meat sauce and sprinkle with extra mozzarella cheese, if desired.
- Cover and cook on low for about 4-5 hours or until noodles are tender.
- Serve with Homemade Olive Garden Breadsticks or a salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I first shared this recipe February 2015. Updated March 2018.
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Tara McKeever says
I cook it in high for 2 hrs and works out just fine. We dont have an oven so anything like this is a win at my house sub the cottage cheese for feta cheese and yummmmm!
Suzie says
Easiest lasagna I’ve ever made! I used the rectangular crock pot, perfect for this recipe. I wasn’t so sure it was going to work, but the 1 1/4 cup water cooked the noodles perfectly. Thank you!
Jezebellydancer says
Cottage cheese? EW. It has to be ricotta or fugeddaboutit! I skip putting any meat in because that’s the way my Italian relatives all do it. But however you do it, crockpot lasagna is the best/easiest way to do it.
Julie says
Are these using oven ready noodles or no? We bought both noodles didn’t know
Lauren Allen says
Just regular noodles.
Jenna says
This was so good! I only cooked it for about 2 1/2 hrs on low and used ricotta instead of cottage cheese and it all turned out perfect! I was wondering if I could make this ahead and then freeze it? Any tips on doing that?
Kirsten Sourbeer says
Do you think this would work if I assembled the night before and kept in the fridge before cooking?
Lauren Allen says
Yes, it just wont need as long to cook because the noodles will get softened in the fridge.