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Our Slow Cooker Lasagna recipe is the ultimate set-it-and-forget-it comfort food! All the rich, cheesy, meaty layers of classic homemade lasagna made effortlessly right in your crockpot.
The Slow Cooker Lasagna That Practically Makes Itself
Using your crockpot/slow cooker is without a doubt the easiest way to make lasagna! You don't even need to pre-cook the noodles! Regular lasagna noodles cook right in the slow cooker as everything simmers together. Just layer them in (break the noodles to fit, as needed) and they turn out perfectly tender every time. I love a good classic homemade lasagna, but when I'm in a time crunch or don't want to turn on the oven, this crockpot lasagna saves me every time!
I whip up a quick homemade pasta sauce using canned tomatoes, since it's way less expensive (and tastes better) than a jar of spaghetti sauce. Cook the ground beef and sausage ahead of time to make this meal even quicker.
Try more of my Italian recipes, like Instant Pot Spaghetti, Pink Sauce Pasta, Meatball Subs, or One Pan Chicken Alfredo!
How to make Slow Cooker Lasagna:
Brown the Meat: Cook ground beef (or Italian sausage) with onion and garlic until browned. Drain, then stir in your favorite marinara sauce and set aside.
Cheese Mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine mozzarella, cottage cheese, and parmesan cheese.
Assemble: Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker, then layer in uncooked lasagna noodles (broken to fit), meat sauce, and ricotta cheese mixture. Repeat the layers.
Cook and Serve: Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours until noodles are tender. Add shredded mozzarella in the last 20 minutes, then serve this crockpot lasagna topped with fresh basil and parmesan. Make sure to try my Skillet Lasagna if you need something quicker.
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, (or ricotta)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Brown Meat: In a large skillet over medium heat brown the ground beef, Italian sausage and onion.½ pound lean ground beef, ½ pound ground Italian sausage, 1 large onion
- Make Red Sauce: 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!)1 ½ teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 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 ¼ cups water
- Assemble: 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).8 ounces lasagna noodles
- Add Cheese Mixture: Combine the mozzarella, cottage cheese and parmesan cheese; spoon a third of the mixture over noodles. Repeat layers twice.4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 ½ cups cottage cheese, ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Finish Layers: 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I first shared this recipe February 2015. Updated March 2018, September 2023 and August 2026.
Accidently bought cream cheese instead of cottage cheese, luckily I had enough cottage cheese on hand. I’ve made many mistakes in my life, this may have been the most delicious one ever!!! lol
Also added minced mushrooms and spinach to the meat sauce mixture!
Tho I can’t speak for myself bc I am vegan my family did like it and ask for seconds so that’s a win… I left out the sausage and did…
Ground beef, onion and lots of garlic
Added whole tomatoes over canned
Free handed thyme, oregano, Italian seasoning and 2 bay leafs with extra dry garlic salt and pepper
Added zuchinni and celery
And used jalapeño cheese and a little bit of ampules Gouda
My slow cooker was done at 2.5-3 hours on high
I also broke the noodles into bite size pieces so it was easier for little mouths
Over all a win and I will make again
This is my go-to lasagna recipe! The leftovers are even better than having it fresh 🙂 serve it with some garlic bread, and our kids even love it!
This is my go to recipe for lasagna now!! I used to make it in the oven for decades but this is so easy to make and I love preparing it the night before and just cooking it the next day. My husband is a big fan of this dish too. Just go ahead and guess what we’re having tomorrow? Lasagna! Haha It is so delicious and the sauce is amazing!! So happy I found this recipe years ago. Thank you, for sharing!
Hi! Do you think it would be okay to use a crockpot liner ?
Yes, sure!
So great! Turned out perfectly. Will be using this recipe again.
I followed this recipe exactly. What a hit! It was simple and delicious! Thank you for sharing. This is a keeper!
Do you think this would work if I assembled the night before and kept in the fridge before cooking?
Yes, it just wont need as long to cook because the noodles will get softened in the fridge.
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?
That is a good idea to freeze it. I have had excellent results. Great recipe!
I love the idea of lasagna in the crockpot! This recipe is delicious. My husband and I find that the lasagna is super runny on the first night though. Any suggestions on how to make it less soupy? I’m only using the 1 1/4 c. water.
Before I put the lid on I cover the crockpot with a dish towel to catch the condensation.