Crockpot Lasagna is the gift that keeps on giving. Proud layers of saucy beef, melty mozzarella, tender noodles, and a sneaky spinach cottage cheese filling, this hearty Italian favorite can feed a crowd and tastes fantastic leftover too!
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Why You’ll Love This Easy Crockpot Lasagna Recipe
Lasagna, Simplified. Lasagna layers do take some time to prep, but this easy crockpot recipe streamlines them wherever possible. The meat layer is made with spaghetti sauce to keep it easy, and the noodles don’t even need to be boiled first. Hooray!
The Perfect Lasagna for Busy Schedules. The slow cooker means all of the work happens earlier in the day, giving you more flexibility before dinner. (For a slow cooker pasta with even less prep time, check out my Crock Pot Pasta, which doesn’t require assembling layers.)
Every Bit as Delicious as Traditional. The moment when you reach your biggest spatula down through the layers to reveal the masterpiece of stacked cheese, meat, and noodles within this crockpot lasagna one of glory and pride. And it tastes as good as it looks!
5 Star Review
“This was AWESOME! Total cheese heaven and I felt good about the veggies. Kids loved it too.”
— Mary —
How to Make Crockpot Lasagna
The Ingredients
Ground Beef. Lean ground beef is healthy, hearty, and flavorful, making it perfect for our easy crockpot lasagna recipe.
Oregano. Adds an earthy, herby flavor to the meat.
Balsamic Vinegar. Helps give the meat layer a note of acidity.
Red Pepper Flakes. For a touch of heat.
Marinara. I chose to use jarred pasta sauce for this lasagna, as it’s quick and easy.
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese. Low-fat cottage cheese helps us create a lighter, protein-packed lasagna while still ensuring it’s rich and flavorful. You can swap part-skim ricotta cheese for the cottage cheese if you prefer.
Frozen Spinach. Using frozen spinach in this lasagna is an easy way to sneak in extra nutrition.
Egg. Egg helps bind the cheese layer together, ensuring it won’t run out during cooking and serving.
Parmesan. Adds nuttiness and saltiness to the cheese mixture.
Basil. Tastes fantastic in the cheese layer.
Lasagna Noodles. Or for a no-noodle version, you’ll love this Crock Pot Low Carb Lasagna, which uses eggplant and zucchini noodles.
Mozzarella. A delicious, gooey lid of mozzarella cheese is a hallmark of any good lasagna. I used part-skim mozzarella to keep things light.
Water. Adding water to the lasagna helps create steam in the slow cooker. The moisture keeps the ingredients from drying out and kick-starts the cooking process.
The Directions
Brown the Beef and Onion. Break apart the beef as it cooks.
Make the Meat Sauce. Set aside 1 cup of the marinara, then stir the remaining 3 cups into the pan with the beef.
Make the Cheese Layer. Stir the cottage cheese and spinach filling together.
Start Assembling. Spread the reserved marinara on the bottom of the slow cooker, then top it with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles.
Keep Layering. Add one-third of the meat sauce.
Add the Cheese. Dollop the cheese mixture over the top, spreading it into an even layer.
Make It Cheesier. Top with part of the mozzarella.
Still More Layers. Layer in the next 3 noodles and half of the remaining meat sauce. Add all of the cheese mixture, and half of the remaining mozzarella.
Finish Assembling. Finish with the 3 final noodles and remaining meat sauce. Slowly pour the water over the top of the lasagna.
Turn on the Crockpot. Cook crockpot lasagna on LOW for 3 to 4 hours. Turn the slow cooker off and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top.
Cool and Serve. Remove the slow cooker insert, cover it, and let it cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes. Serve with fresh basil and ENJOY!
What to Serve with Crockpot Lasagna
Vegetables. Make a light veggie side like Sautéed Broccoli or Roasted Cauliflower.
Bread. Homemade Dinner Rolls or No Knead Focaccia would be fabulous.
Salad. This Arugula Salad is light and pairs exceptionally well with Italian dishes.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Grate Your Own Cheese. Grate your cheese at home using a box grater or a microplane grater. You’ll get plenty of use out of it, like topping your Sausage Tortellini Soup with freshly grated cheese!
Put Your Spin on It. If you’re looking to shake up your lasagna game, there are a number of things you can add to it. Add some Roasted Garlic, Roasted Tomatoes, Roasted Red Peppers, Italian sausage, or take inspiration from my Eggplant Lasagna and add some thinly sliced eggplant.
Don’t Cook on High. If you cook on high instead of low, the noodles will not cook through evenly.
Get a Head Start. Up to 1 day in advance, prepare the recipe through Step 2. Refrigerate the mixture in an airtight storage container until you’re ready to finish the recipe.
Don’t Forget About the Resting Time. When you uncover the crockpot lasagna, it will look soupy, but don’t panic. Once the lasagna rests for 20 minutes, it will set up and the excess liquid will be absorbed.
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Crockpot Lasagna
This easy crockpot lasagna recipe has the meaty, cheesy layers you love, but with half the work. You don't even have to boil the noodles!
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 3 hourshours30 minutesminutes
Total Time 4 hourshours20 minutesminutes
Servings 6servings
Calories 587kcal
Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated
Ingredients
1pound90% lean ground beef
1small yellow oniondiced
1teaspoondried oregano
1teaspoonkosher saltdivided
½teaspoonground black pepperdivided
6clovesgarlicminced (about 2 tablespoons)
1teaspoonbalsamic vinegar
¼teaspoonred pepper flakesoptional
1(32-ounce) jar good-quality marinara sauce(4 cups), divided
Coat a 6- or 7-quart slow cooker very generously on the bottom and sides with nonstick spray. Heat a large, deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef, onion, oregano, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Cook, breaking apart the meat with a spatula or spoon, until the meat is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes and cook 30 seconds.
Reserve 1 cup of the marinara sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining 3 cups marinara sauce. Stir to combine, then set aside.
In a large bowl, use a fork to stir together the cottage cheese, spinach, egg, Parmesan, basil, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper until evenly combined. Use the fork to break apart the spinach as needed.
Assemble the lasagna: spread the reserved 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom of the slow cooker. Lay 3 of the noodles on top of the sauce, breaking them as needed to make a roughly even layer—it doesn’t need to be perfect and is fine if some of the noodles overlap slightly and parts of the sauce peek through. I typically lay one noodle down the center, then break the other two in half and arrange them in a wide "V" in the open spaces on either side of the center noodle.
Top with one-third of the meat sauce, spreading it into an even layer.
Evenly dollop half of the cottage cheese mixture over the meat sauce. With the back of a fork, spread it into an even layer.
Sprinkle with one-third of the mozzarella.
Repeat layers with the next 3 noodles, half of the remaining meat sauce, all of the remaining cottage cheese mixture, and half of the remaining mozzarella.
Finish layering with the 3 final noodles and remaining meat sauce (refrigerate the last portion of the mozzarella until the end—if you add it now, it will disappear into the sauce while the lasagna cooks). Gradually pour the water in a slow stream over the top and around the edges of the lasagna, allowing some of it to trickle down the edges so it flows between the lasagna and the insert.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours, until the noodles are tender and the lasagna registers 140 degrees F in the center (do NOT cook on high or the noodles will not cook through evenly— mine was done in 3 hours and 15 minutes). Turn off the slow cooker, uncover, and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella.
Carefully remove the insert from the base and set it on a wire rack (use oven mitts if needed; the insert is hot). Recover and let the lasagna rest for at least 20 minutes (if you serve it right away, it will fall apart). To serve, sprinkle the top generously with more fresh basil. Cut the lasagna with a knife and scoop out servings with a big spatula or spoon. Enjoy hot.
Video
Notes
TO STORE: Refrigerate lasagna in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a baking dish in the oven at 350 degrees F or in the microwave.
TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
