Crock Pot Lasagna

When you are craving lasagna and need a quick and easy version make this Crock Pot Lasagna recipe! Layers of noodles, meat sauce and cheese that’s made in your slow cooker for a quick and easy family-friendly dinner. Pair it with a tossed salad and breadsticks for an easy meal.

I love homemade lasagna but making it the traditional way is not possible for us on a weeknight, so I make lasagna in the crock pot instead!

It has tender noodles, savory meat sauce, and all the cheese just like oven-baked lasagna, but it’s a little more hands-off and easier to make. The hardest part is waiting for it to be done — it smells amazing at it cooks in the slow cooker!

We love this meaty lasagna — it’s just as good as our favorite Italian restaurant! Bonus points that it is way more cost effective than a restaurant too. And if you find the Crockpot frees up some time, you can make a fancy dessert like Creme Brulee to round out your meal!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• You can cut down on the pots and pans because you don’t have to boil the pasta separately. It cooks right in the crock pot with the sauce and cheese.
• Pasta and cheese are layered with a meat sauce made with beef, tomato sauce, and Italian seasonings. It’s so hearty!
• No need to turn on the oven — once you get everything in the crock pot you can leave it until it’s time for dinner.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Lasagna

• Lean ground beef – I recommend grabbing lean ground beef to ensure that your easy crockpot lasagna recipe doesn’t turn out greasy. Italian sausage, ground turkey, and ground chicken also work.
• Onion – Dice up a yellow or white, medium onion to use in this recipe.
• Garlic cloves – Freshly minced garlic cloves are an easy way to add loads of flavor to any pasta dish.
• Tomato sauce – Grab some canned tomato sauce to make your own marinara that you’ll use in this dish.
• Water – You’ll need a bit of water in this dish so that the noodles can soak up the moisture to be fully cooked and tender.
• Tomato paste – Use both tomato sauce and tomato paste in this recipe for the most flavor.
• Salt – Season this dish with some high quality salt. Some black pepper would be good in this dish too.
• Dried oregano – You can also use Italian seasoning if you prefer.
• Lasagna noodles – Grab a box of your favorite lasagna noodles at the grocery store to use in this slow cooker recipe.
• Shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese – For the most gooey and cheesy results, shred your own mozzarella cheese.
• Cottage cheese – For the cheese, I love to use cottage cheese because it’s a little lighter than regular ricotta cheese. There’s also plenty of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese!
• Grated Parmesan cheese – The final ingredient that ties everything together, grated parmesan cheese.

How to Make Crock Pot Lasagna

1. Cook ground beef with the garlic and onions in a large skillet over medium heat. Then add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, salt, and oregano.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese with the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
3. Spread 1/4 of the sauce in the bottom of the crock pot. Then add 1/3 of the noodles in an even layer. You can break them into small pieces to make them fit, if needed.
4. Top the noodles with 1/3 of the cheese mixture and then repeat the layers one more time finishing with the cheese on top.
5. Cover the crock pot and cook it for four to five hours or until the pasta is tender.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Do you put an egg in lasagna?

While some recipe call for eggs in the cheese mixture, my recipe you doesn’t need it! Egg is commonly used because it acts like a binder. But this simple lasagna stays together pretty well!

Can you put uncooked noodles in a crock pot?

Yep! That’s why I love this recipe — you don’t need to boil the pasta separately. Just layer the uncooked lasagna noodles with the marinara sauce and cheese and let the crock pot do the work for you.

How many layers should lasagna have?

You need at least two layers, and many recipes have three or four layers! I like two layers for a crock pot lasagna. Everything cooks evenly and it’s fully cooked within four to five hours.

Does traditional lasagna have ricotta?

Traditional lasagna is made with a white sauce called bechamel but there are many recipes that call for ricotta cheese or, like mine, cottage cheese. What you prefer will depend on your tastes! I like cottage cheese because it’s lighter.

What to Serve with Crock Pot Lasagna

Serve your yummy pasta dinner with some fluffy breadsticks or easy air fryer garlic bread. It’s also great with a side salad!

Want a side dish with some vegetables? Then serve up some green beans with bacon or maybe some glazed carrots.

How to Store Leftover Crock Pot Lasagna

Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and allow to cool before placing the lid on.

FRIDGE: Store your leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. For best results, reheat in the oven.

FREEZER: Leftover lasagna also freezes well! Store in the freezer for 2-3 months and allow to thaw before reheating.

If you need an easy weeknight meal that is mostly hands-off, then give this slow cooker lasagna a shot!

More Great Lasagna & Crock Pot Recipes to Try!

• Mexican Lasagna – Give the classic a twist with this Mexican version loaded with taco meat and cheese!
• Easy Cheese Ravioli Lasagna – Or try this sausage lasagna made with cheesy ravioli. It’s hearty, comforting and your family will love it!
• Easy Lasagna Soup – This is a fun way to get all the flavors without all the layering! It’s perfect for weeknight dinners.
• Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff is the ultimate comfort dinner!
• Make this easy and delicious Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole!
• We have gathered our favorite easy Crock Pot Dinner recipes.