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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.
Can I assemble this ahead of time (night before) and then have it ready to go?
You could, but the noodles will probably be very soft when its finished.
I cooked mine for 4 1/2 hours on low. It was very saucy and the noodles were very, very mushy soft….did not hold together at all but slid around.
This is going to be long, so I apologize.
This recipe is wonderful, and going to be in our regular rotation. I live in South Texas, and 11.5 months out of the year, it’s BLAZING hot! We are a family of 5; mom, 3 birth children, and the 38 year old man child I adopted from my mother in law. Oh and not to mention they all have the appetites and metabolisms of a cheetah…or whatever animal has the best metabolism. But my apologies, I digress.
So living in South Texas, aka the swamps of hell, I never ever want to run the oven if I can help it. But…my children’s favorite meal???….lasagna!!!
This week has been hectic, and I’ve been working ot and a lot of it. Spoiled man child has had to cook. He doesn’t mind and is great at it, but it’s not mom’s according to the boys. So, loving mom comes home today during my lunch break and whips this together. What’s the worst that could happen? Nothing I tell you, absolutely NOTHING. This recipe is great as it is. However, I’m THAT mom, and even though my kids are not picky eaters, I always sneak veggies into my carb laden one pot meals. So her is what I did…oh mighty recipe creator I apologize in advance for the changes.
First off, we live on huge helpings and leftovers so I doubled the batch (except the noodles, i only used one box of those).
1lb of burger
1lb Italian sausage (my store only had brats so I cut them out of the casings)
1 box lasagna noodles
2 large containers of cottage cheese
ADDED1lb frozen whole spinach
ADDED8oz container sliced mushrooms
2 20something oz cans tomato sauce
2 6oz cans tomato paste
ADDED 2 14.5oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes with garlic
SUBBED brown sugar
Cooked down in the pan as directed with the additions and subs.
Used an 8qt Crock-Pot with a Reynolds liner. Layered as follows. Sauce-two ladles, noodles(4 broken each time), 1 container cottage cheese, noodles, sauce(1/2-3/4″ layer across), mozzarella, noodles, other container of cottage cheese, noodles, sauce, cheese, noodles, sauce, cheese. Set on low. Came home at 6 to dinner ready.
Fan-friggin-tastic!
Even had sauce leftover that I Jarred and froze for another meal later on. Thanks so much almighty recipe creator, you have save me in the delighted eyes of my children.
Thanks so much for your comment Katie! You made me laugh and I am so happy that the recipe was a hit with your family!
Made this for the first time today since my plan for traditional lasagna failed. I just picked this one at random and it was terrific!! 3 hrs 45 min total, and it was cooked perfectly. Got rave reviews from the Man and Children. Will definitely make it again. I am no longer afraid of crockpot noodles! haha!
This was so good! I made it for the first time today and it came out perfect. Everyone at work loved it and there was absolutely nothing left! It was so easy and that is coming from someone who you typically will not find in the kitchen! Thank you for an easy, yet great recipe. I will definitely be making this again!
This looks so good! I’ve got 8 adults coming for dinner, will this recipe serve all of us? Thanks in advance –
I think it should, especially if you had salad and bread.
I will never make my old lasagna recipe ever again! This is by far the best! Thank you so much!
Just found this recipe today and plan on making it. Just wanted to know if it cooks 5 1/2 to 6 hours if it would be too long for the noodles?
Hi Jill, the noodles will be really soft, but I think they’d still taste fine 🙂
Came out excellent. Used crockpot liner for easy clean up. Will be my go to recipe!
I made this recipe for lasagna in my crock pot yesterday!! This is a very good recipe, easy to put together and so tasty… When the lasagna was done and we were ready to eat, the lasagna came out of the crock pot in nice pieces….Very pleased with this recipe and will make it again. It would be a nice recipe for a get together or a summer picnic too.. Very Good!