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This easy Crockpot Lasagna recipe has all the flavor of a traditional homemade lasagna but without the mess and prep! It's perfect for a busy weeknight and a meal everyone enjoys!
Want more slow cooker recipes? Try Hawaiian Meatballs, Pork Carnitas, Beef Gyros, or Chicken Tortilla Soup!
Why I love this meal:
- Quick – This recipe skips all the time consuming parts of homemade lasagna and is practically mess-free, especially with these slow cooker liners.
- Uncooked Noodles – No need to boil the noodles beforehand, making this recipe even faster.
- Crowd Pleaser – I have never heard a complaint on lasagna night! Serve with easy homemade breadsticks or garlic knots and a wedge salad.
How to make Slow Cooker Lasagna:
Make Red Sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, Italian sausage and onion. Remove some of the grease. Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, parsley, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, tomato sauce, sugar, and water. Stir and simmer 15-20 minutes.
Combine Cheese: Mix the mozzarella, cottage cheese and parmesan cheese together.
Layer Lasagna: 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). Spoon a third of the cheese mixture over noodles. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining meat sauce and sprinkle with extra mozzarella cheese, if desired.
Serve: Cover and cook on low for about 4-5 hours or until noodles are tender. Serve the best crockpot lasagna with easy homemade breadsticks or garlic knots and a wedge salad.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: The meat sauce can be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge up to a few days ahead, until ready to assemble the easy slow cooker lasagna recipe.
To Freeze: The meat sauce can be frozen in advance in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 4 months. Let thaw then assemble the lasagna.
Serve With:
- Homemade Breadsticks
- Best Homemade Rolls
- Classic Wedge Salad
- Garlic Knots
- Beet Salad
- Broccoli Salad
- Brussels Sprout Salad
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Recipe
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage or pork sausage
- 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 sauce
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
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I first shared this recipe February 2015. Updated March 2018 and September 2023.
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Are these using oven ready noodles or no? We bought both noodles didn’t know
Just regular noodles.
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.
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!
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!
I am am making this for the 2nd time, my family LOVES it!!!!
This is a really tasty lasagna recipe! I used my rectangular-shaped slow cooker that I purchased a number of years ago – and adjusted the number of layers just a bit – turned out great! Thank you!!
Mine turned out really soupy and not cohesive at all. What do you think caused this?
Would gluten free barilla lasagna noodles work?
I think it would be fine, however I’ve not tried it.
We make it with GF noodles, and it turns out outstanding!
I have on hand Oven Ready lasagna noodles. Will this work instead of uncooked ones?
Yes, but you would need to cut down on the cooking time.
how can I avoid the lasagna burning around the edges? love making this but tired of picking out burnt pieces 🙁
You probably have a newer slow cooker. At some point they changed how slow cookers work so there is no real low setting on the new ones. I found this out the hard way when I made mac and cheese on “low” and it was a solid mass of burnt cheese. I called and was told the low setting just heats up more gradually to the same temperature as high. So I bought a used one. If your slow cooker has a “warm” setting you know it’s a newer model.