Easy Crockpot Lasagna Recipe
Crockpot Lasagna is juicy, cheesy, beefy, and tastes just as good as a Classic Lasagna, but easier! There is no need to pre-cook noodles, you just add them raw and they cook up perfectly tender in the slow cooker. This is also a make-ahead lasagna that can be assembled a day ahead for convenient meals (hello Sunday lunch).
Slow cookers have been a little neglected with the popularity of Instant Pots and air fryers, but let’s not forget why we love them in the first place – you can set it and forget it until dinner time (like Crockpot Chili), so it’s ready when you are.
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You’ll Love this Crockpot Lasagna
Lasagna in the slow cooker is one of my favorite Sunday lunch ideas. You can assemble it a day ahead and refrigerate, then turn it on before heading off to church and have it ready when you get home. It works perfectly because we love our leisurely Sunday morning pace and it’s great to know I already have lunch figured out.
I took a crockpot of this yummy lasagna casserole over to my parent’s house one Sunday afternoon for our weekly family lunch and everyone in my family (young and old-ish) was completely smitten with it. This is a KEEPER!!
Ingredients for Crockpot Lasagna
- Ground Beef – The best beef for lasagna should have about 20% fat content
- Onion & Garlic – aromatics that give deep flavor and aroma
- Salt, Pepper & Oregano – simple pantry staples are all you need
- Red wine adds incredible flavor to the meat sauce
- Marinara – use a high quality store-bought marinara, or homemade marinara
- Parsley – added to the meat sauce and cheese sauce
- Lasagna Noodles – Use regular uncooked lasagna noodles (NOT “oven ready).
- Cheese – This lasagna combines 3 cheeses. The cottage cheese might surprise you but takes the cheese sauce to the next level.
- A little water is added to help with hot spots and to cook more evenly. If your crockpot is prone to hot spots, consider using a slow cooker liner or a different slow cooker.
How to Make Crockpot Lasagna
1. In a large deep pan over medium heat, saute the ground beef and onion for 5 min or until no longer pink, breaking it up with your spatula. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute then add 1/4 cup red wine and simmer until nearly evaporated (5 min).
2. Add 3 cups marinara, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp sugar and 2 Tbsp chopped parsley. Mix well, cover and simmer 5 min while you stir together your cheese sauce.
3. For the cheese sauce: In a medium bowl, combine 15 oz ricotta, 16 oz cottage cheese (un-drained), 1 large egg, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 2 Tbsp parsley. Mix well.
4. Lightly oil your slow cooker. Spread 1 cup marinara on the bottom then add 3 noodles, breaking to fit. Top with 1/3 of the Meat Sauce, sprinkle on 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, then spread with 1/2 of your cheese sauce and repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles. Top with remaining meat sauce, 3/4 cup mozzarella and pour 1/2 cup water around the edges, allowing some of it to go down the side of the dish into the lasagna.
5. Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 to 4 hours**. If desired, soak up any excess oil with a paper towel then sprinkle on the remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella, cover and cook for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
Let the lasagna rest 15 minutes before serving, otherwise, it will be blazing hot and too loose to serve.
What’s the best slow cooker? We used a 6 Quart programmable slow cooker when I took these photos. We have since upgraded to an 8 Quart crockpot. Note: If you use a 3 quart, you will need to cut the recipe in half and break the noodles in half so they fit easier into the crockpot.
Crock Pot Lasagna Layers
Here is a visual reference on how to assemble a slow cooker lasagna in order of adding to the crockpot. I follow this list every time.
- 1 cup marinara – spread on the bottom
- 3 noodles (broken to fit)
- 1/3 of the meat sauce
- 3/4 cup grated mozzarella
- 1/2 ricotta cheese sauce
- 3 noodles
- 1/3 meat sauce
- 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella
- 1/2 ricotta cheese sauce
- 3 noodles
- 1/3 meat sauce
- 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella (refrigerate remaining cheese)
- 1/2 cup water around the edges
- After 4 hours, top with 3/4 cup of grated mozzarella
Common Questions
Yes, you can substitute with beef broth if you prefer. If alcohol is a concern, keep in mind, it’s mostly cooked out on the stove.
Spinach is delicious in lasagna. We used it in our Chicken Lasagna recipe. One of our readers reported great results using chopped fresh spinach here. You could stir it into the cheese sauce.
You can use oven-ready noodles, but they will cook faster than regular lasagna noodles which can get too soft, which is why I prefer uncooked lasagna noodles.
We have tested this with Gluten-Free lasagna noodles but they did become mushier than traditional noodles.
Fully assemble and cook, then cool to room temperature, transfer to a freezer container, and freeze. To serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and reheat portions in the microwave or oven until roll-ups are heated through and cheese is melted.
You can substitute it with some more ricotta.
A great big cheesy slice for me, please! I hope your whole family falls in love with this Crockpot Lasagna recipe. It’s one of the easiest dinners and one that the kids always enjoy. Meat sauce, cheese sauce, melty cheese between the layers – what’s not to love?
More Crockpot Recipes
- Pork Carnitas – Mexican pulled pork
- Slow Cooker Beef Chili – it doesn’t get any easier
- Crockpot BBQ Chicken – delicious in sandwiches
- Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce is perfect over any pasta
- Crockpot Pulled Pork is so tender and saucy
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos for taco Tuesday
Easy Crockpot Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
For the Meat Sauce
- 1 lb ground beef, (80/20 fat content)
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1/4 cup red wine, or beef broth
- 32 oz marinara sauce
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
- 4 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped and divided
For the Cheese Sauce:
- 15 oz reduced fat ricotta cheese
- 16 oz low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 lb mozzarella cheese, (4 cups shredded), divided
For Assembling Lasagna:
- 9 lasagna noodles, uncooked, NOT “oven ready”
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- In a large deep pan over medium heat, combine ground beef and onion. Cook, breaking up meat with a spatula until no longer pink (5 min). Add garlic and sauté 1 to 2 mins. Add 1/4 cup red wine and simmer until nearly evaporated (5 min).
- Add 3 cups marinara, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/2 tsp sugar and 2 Tbsp chopped parsley. Mix well, cover and simmer 5 min.:
- Make the cheese sauce: In a medium bowl, combine: 15 oz ricotta, 16 oz cottage cheese, 1 large egg, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, and 2 Tbsp parsley. Mix well.
- Lightly oil a 6 qt slow cooker. Spread 1 cup marinara sauce on the bottom then top with 3 noodles, breaking them to fit. Top with 1/3 of the Meat Sauce, sprinkle with 3/4 cup of your mozzarella cheese, then spread the top with 1/2 of your ricotta cheese mixture and repeat until you have 3 layers of noodles. Top the third layer of noodles with remaining meat sauce, 3/4 cup mozzarella and pour 1/2 cup water around the edges, allowing some of it to go down the side of the dish into lasagna.
- Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 to 4 hours** then top with reserved mozzarella, cover and cook 10 mins or until cheese melts. Let the lasagna rest 15 mins for easier serving.
Notes
**Cook 3 1/2 hours on low if slow cooking right away and 4 hours on low if slow cooking after having the lasagna assembled and refrigerated overnight.
Nutrition Per Serving
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
This recipe yielded the most delicious lasagna! I was pleasantly surprised that the top layer of cheese turned out perfectly (a little browned). I didn’t have any ricotta cheese on hand; just, used cottage cheese, and it still turned out, beautifully. I also added mushrooms, while browning the meat. Appreciated the tip to add water on the sides of the crockpot.
It really is delicious! I’m happy you enjoyed it Margaret! Thank you for sharing your review with me.
Delicious!! Did add some spinach to the cheese mixture! My go to lasagna recipe!
Awesome, so glad you enjoyed it!
I love this recipe. I have made it several times and it might be the best lasagna I’ve ever made. HOWEVER, don’t believe it can be prepped in 30 minutes. For me it takes a minimum of 1 hour. Allow 1 1/2 hours the first time.
It’s worth the time.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Jennifer!
That’s been my experience, too! Takes close to an hour to prepare and layering instruction La could be a little clearer. But it’s a family favorite and so delicious!
HI Stacey, I updated the recipe to reflect a longer prep time (I had accounted for some of the prep time in the cooking time but I can see where that could be confusing if you are only considering cooking time to be slow cooker time)
Excellent – absolutely delicious! I tried it based on the reviews and I am so glad I did. Yes, I made small tweaks just to use something on hand (a little grated parmesan in the cheese sauce, 1 drained can of diced tomatoes in the meat sauce plus favorite spices such as garlic salt and a garlic chicken herb one we love) but I am sure it would have been just as perfect without my additions. It cooked so beautifully and in the time suggested (4 hours + 15 minutes with more mozzarella + 15 minutes to rest). We love leftovers so this is providing 3 meals for hubby and me. I’m thrilled to finally find THE best CrockPot lasagna recipe!
Hi Stella! Thank you for the feedback. So glad you loved it, even with the “small tweaks.” 😉
Hi Natasha,
I found the recipe to be a little confusing but the Lasagna still tasted great.
Your directions say to “repeat until you have three layers” but then it also says to “Top the third layer of noodles with remaining meat sauce, 3/4 cup mozzarella and pour 1/2 cup water around the edges”. You have another section on this page that shows that the second layer has no Marinara sauce, and the third layer has none of the cheese mixture.
Thanks for the great tasting recipe.
Hi Steve, I’m so glad you enjoyed the slow cooker lasagna recipe. Regarding the photo collage – if I had included all the steps it would have been about 20 photos long so I included the layers in order: noodles, meat sauce, shredded cheese, cheese sauce then you repeat until you get to the last layer where you pour water around the edges. I hope that helps.
If I make a half recipe, should I reduce the egg? Or just use the one egg called for in the original recipe? Thanks! Looks like a good recipe. Looking forward to making it for two.
Hi Lisa, I would halve the entire recipe and all the ingredients. To get half an egg, I like to put the egg into a small bowl, mix it slightly and then pour half of it into the mixture.
Made this today as written but subbed veggie grounds for the beef and even the meat eaters in my house went back for seconds. It wasn’t runny at all. Great weekday recipe!
Great, I love it! Thanks for sharing that with us, Amy.
All I have are “oven ready” noodles . . . can I still use them? I know you say not to but maybe just don’t cook the recipe as long?
Yes that might work but I haven’t really experimented to advise on the exact cooking time.
I have someone with an egg allergy. Wonder if I could leave the egg out of the cheese mixture?
Hi Mary, I have not tried omitting eggs from this recipe to advise. Let’s see if others have tried and can share their experience.
Made this for my family for dinner tonight and it was amazing! Followed the recipe exactly and it was so perfect. Everyone went up for seconds!
Hi Julie, thank you for following the recipes as it is. I’m happy to know that you love it!
Hi! I love your recipes! I cook a lot because of them and it has brightened our lives😊
Quick question though, I made your slow cooker lasagna and it had amazing flavor, but I followed the recipe to a T, and it turned out soooo mushy. Lasagna soup is apparently not a thing😂 Any suggestions?
Hi Debbie, did you possibly get a no-boil noodle for the lasagna? Those can cook too quickly. Also, gluten-free noodles cook faster and tend to get a little mushy although they still taste great.
I had this same problem! It has great flavor but came out very watery. Lasagna soup is it! The kids still loved it but I was hoping it would hold together. I was thinking it may be the ricotta/cottage cheese or perhaps too much tomato sauce?
I always drain/strain my cottage cheese because there is usually a lot of milk.
I’ve made this lasagna now several times. It is my favorite lasagna recipe by far. Family loves it, and leftovers are always eaten!!
That’s wonderful. I’m glad they all love it. Thank you for the review, Jennifer. 🙂
Hi, I love all of your recipes! Just curious, what does adding the water around the edges do, will it make it to runny?
Hi Kyle, we have a note on that in the recipe, but a little water is added to help with hot spots and to cook more evenly. I hope that helps!
Made this today and it was a hit.
Made a few small changes due to family needs, no onion and I used lactose free mozzarella.
Came out so yummy!
It is super hot and humid so being able to due this in the crock was great.
Thanks!
Sounds good! Happy to hear that the recipe was a huge hit, love it!
Fabulous! I made the recipe exactly as written because I like to try it as the chef intended the first time. I wouldn’t change a thing. I don’t normally use ricotta in lasagna but this 50/50 with cottage cheese was delicious. I was able to have lasagna in the summer with no hot kitchen from the oven. Id give it more than 5 stars if I could.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Jennifer!
I just made this yesterday while on vacation. Set it up, went to the beach for the afternoon and it was ready in time for dinner. It was delicious, with plenty of leftovers. Super easy as well!
That’s wonderful! So glad it was enjoyed.
Such a easy and delicious recipe!! Definitely more than 10 servings! New fam fav! Thanks!!
You’re welcome, so glad you found your new favorite!
This was the easiest and best tasting lasagna I have ever made! My family loved it! It’s my new favorite! Thanks for sharing.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Beth!
Your recipe calls for reduced fat ricotta, but the picture of all the ingredients shows whole milk ricotta. Does it make a difference which one you use?
Hi Judy, no, you can use either one. 🙂
Have you ever prepped the lasagna 2 days before cooking it? Do you think that would work? I’m in charge of our family Sunday lunch and am heading to a women’s retreat on a Friday and want to prep it before I leave.
Hi Katie, I have assembled it a day ahead and it worked well. It might be ok to assemble 2 days in advance but I haven’t tested it that far in advance. It also reheats very well. You may also want to check out this other lasagna recipeas the lasagna can be assembled and frozen prior to baking.
Hey Natasha! Can i make this in an Instant Pot? If so, any modifications like time?
Hi Michelle, I haven’t experimented with an instant pot so I’m not 100% sure. You might take a look online for temperature and timing if someone else has tried making an instant pot lasagna. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes. I’m so curious! 🙂
My family doesn’t like Lasagna using Ricotta ( and we don’t like Cottage Cheese). Can we use Velveeta or some other cheese?
You could just omit the Ricotta, cottage cheese, and egg and keep the mozzarella. You could also add in another preferred shredded cheese alongside the mozzarella for added flavor. Some like to use cream cheese, or goat cheese in place of the Ricotta/cottage cheese but I have not tested this to advise.
I replaced the real beef in this recipe with one pound of impossible ground beef, and cooked the veggie ground beef in olive oil, so it wouldn’t dry out while cooking in the crock pot. Delicious!!!! Also, this recipe makes a ton of lasagna:):)
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Cheryl!
Do you happen to know what would happen if I used some zucchini spirals or spaghetti squash in place of the lasagna noodles? Thank you. 😊
Hi Lorim, I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. I think it’s worth experimenting with so if you try that, please share with us how it goes!
This was such a delicious and easy to prepare recipe. I didn’t realize until half way in to the process that my crockpot was only 3 1/2 quart. Luckily I own two of them so I just split the ingredients into both and it came out wonderful. Big thank you 🙏
I’m so glad it all worked out, Gene! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
The Crock Pot Lasagna looks amazing. I want to make a vegetarian lasagna. What should I add to this recipe to make it yummy?
Hi Joan. I haven’t tried making this into a vegetarian lasagna recipe. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hi Natasha!
I’ll be making this recipe at some point this week using vegetarian beef crumbles as a substitution for the beef, and will likewise be incorporating spinach. I’ll let you know how it goes when I do! I’m very excited to try this. 🙂
Sounds like a good plan! Please definitely update us on how it goes.
Hi Joan! I just substituted impossible ground beef and cooked the veggie ground beef in olive oil, and it came out perfect:)
Hi Nat, I can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow, it sounds so easy and delicious! My question is, I have 7 quart crockpot, do I need to adjust the amounts of ingredients at all?
Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Hi Donna, we used a 6-quart crockpot, so the good news is this recipe will fit great into your 7-quart crockpot! I hope you love this recipe!
Thank you, Nat. Oh my gosh, delicious! Huge hit for everyone! I will use this over and over. I doubled the meat and doubled the sauce, making it even more hearty! Thank you 🙂
I’m so happy this was a hit, Donna! That’s so great!
Which sauce did you double? Did you leave the noodles the same? Trying to increase the amount of food while still using one crockpot.
I am so excited to make this Slow Cooker Lasagna! My family is gonna love, LOVE it!
Thank you Katerina, I hope it becomes a new favorite for your family.
Hi Nat….what size of crockpot do you use? Mine isn’t overly large.
Hi Diane, I used this 6-qt Crockpot HERE.
Ok, this is brilliant! It was delicious and super easy to make!
Thanks for the review, Cara!
So easy and I know same the other recipe delicious 👍💕❤️🥰💕❤️🥰🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏😋😋😋😋😋
I love using my slow cooker for easy dinners and this was truly so good! We all loved it and the flavors were perfect 🙂
I’m so happy you loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing that with me.
Hello I’ve made alot of your recipes and loved them all !!
Question I have is that my family and myself included thinks that the meat sauce is just not enough could I double the meat sauce by half more hamberger and marinara ? should we increase the seasonings too ?
Your videos help a lot and recipes are quick and easy to make ,We love them !
Hi Jimbo, thank you for sharing that with us. I honestly haven’t experimented on doubling the sauce but I think that’s okay and yes, you have to add more seasoning too if you will be adding more sauce. Please update us on how it turns out!
Can you use elbow noodles instead of lasagna noodles?
Hi Freda, I haven’t tried that but I imagine a different kind of pasta may work here. If you happen to test that out, I’d love to know how you like it!
Delish! Perfect recipe since my oven’s not working. My whole family loved this lasagna. The only thing I changed was to soak the noodles in hot tap water for 30 minutes and omit adding the water into the crockpot. It turned out great.
Yes!! We love no-bake recipes! Perfect for summer or when the oven is not working. So happy you enjoyed this Yana!
Made it tonight, followed the recipe exactly. Very good!!!
Hello Rita, thank you for your great review! I appreciate that.
Crock pot lasagna was very good. Will be making again.
So great to hear that, Karen. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Natasha!
I was wondering if it would be at all possible to substitute the beef for chicken. A few members of my family get sick from beef, so I would like to make this with chicken instead.
Thank you!
Hi Harvey, I haven’t tried this specific recipe with chicken, but I imagine that substation may work. If you experiment, I would love to know how you like it. Als, if you haven’t already, check out our Chicken Lasagna recipe HERE.
I doubled the recipe and put in my big crock pot and it was like soup! Very disappointing😢
Hi Trish, oh bummer! I think doubling it would have done that unless the slow cooker was literally twice as big. It probably would have worked better increasing by 1 1/2 times the recipe instead.
Thanks for the feedback!
I will have to try again, because the flavour was good, just very runny!
Thank you for quick reply, Natasha. I made your slow cooker lasagna last night and it was beyond delicious, a huge hit in my family. I added chopped baby spinach to the cheese sauce and it was perfect!
Sounds perfect! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome feedback with us, Karen.
Hi Natasha, I would like to add spinach to your recipe. Do you recommended thawed and drained frozen or fresh spinach? Thanks!
Hi Karen! I haven’t tested that, but one of our readers tried this with great results! She wrote in saying she used fresh chopped spinach.
I tried this tonight for dinner since I have been using my oven for Thanksgiving desserts. I did not think it would turn out but it was Fabulous! Did exactly how the recipe and instructions stated and it was perfect! Thank you for pinning this! It will be in my rotation for dinner.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Jennifer!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times and the only change I made after the first time was sautéing the onions prior to browning the meat. Today I had 2lbs of hamburger meat to use so I doubled the recipe and made other tweaks. I added sautéed mushrooms this time since I love mushrooms and had to use some before they went bad. I also used tomato paste and pizza sauce with canned plum tomatoes instead of spaghetti sauce. My question now is why are my noodles cooking so quickly? I only have the lasagna in the crockpot for an hour and it’s done. Even this time when I had 4 layers of noodles it never takes the 3 hours to cook. Thank you again for sharing this recipe, definitely a family favorite!
Hi Lisa, did you possibly get a no-boil noodle for the lasagna? Those can cook too quickly. Also, gluten-free noodles cook faster and tend to get a little mushy although they still taste great.
This was so delicious! My husband said it was the best lasagna he’s ever had (and he’s not typically a fan of Italian food). Needless to say, this will be a staple in our household.
Thank you so much to you both for your great comments and feedback. We appreciate your awesome review!
Made this today for Sunday night dinner and it was incredible! I actually let it go in the slow cooker for closer to 4 1/2 hours and around the 3 1/2 hour mark added some bread crumbs to the top. It was a hit with the entire family (and we have very pick eaters). Perfect meal :).
I love it! Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Melissa. So great to hear that your family enjoyed the lasagna!
Hi Natasha! What happens of I use oven ready noodles? Can I adjust the time or I do need to get the other type?
Hi Cinthya, with oven-ready, you run the risk of the pasta becoming mushy which is why I specified: 9 regular uncooked lasagna noodles (NOT “oven ready”). It will probably still taste good but the noodles might be mushy and falling apart.
Thank you so much for this recipe. It was very easy to prepare and it came out great. My family loved it and is instantly a family favorite! Thanks again!
You’re welcome. Thank you for sharing that with us and for giving this recipe a great feedback!
This is in the fridge right now- we’ll be having it for dinner tomorrow. I know to cook it on low for 4 hours before adding the shredded mozzarella and letting it cook for 10 more minutes, but should I then turn off the slow cooker and lift the lid while it rests for 15 minutes (before slicing and serving)? Thanks in advance!
Hi Suzanne, you can definitely do that.
Hi Natasha, does this recipe freeze well?
Hi Petra, lasagna typically freezes well but I have not tried freezing this specific recipe to advise.
Do you drain the beef after browning it?
Yes I usually do so it will not be too oily
Thank you!
Hi, any recommendations for substituting the noodles for eggplant?
Thanks!
Hello Tania, I honestly haven’t tried doing that to advise. I definitely think you could make it taste great as a vegetarian lasagna and I do love eggplant so let me know if you experiment with it.
How about using sliced zucchini instead of noodles to cut the carbs. Maybe bake the zucchini slices first to get rid of some of the moisture.
Hi Linda, I haven’t tried that yet but I think it’s a good idea and something worth experimenting with. Let us know how it goes if you try that!
If a use a slow cooker liner, will
I be able to omit oiling the slow cooker or adding the 1/2 cup water in step 4? Thanks in advance and Happy Mother’s Day! 💐
Hi Suzanne, you may be able to omit the oiling but the water does help to soften the noodles.
Thanks for this awesome recipe, it is sooo delicious! Love your site, and this is one of our favorites!
Thank you for that kind and thoughtful compliment, Kelsey! I’ so glad you’re enjoying our recipes.
Hi Nat
What size is your slow cooker? I want to try this recipe but I’m concerned that it won’t all fit.
Thanks
Diane
Hi Diane. The link to that slow cooker seems unavailable but here’s a link to the Instant Pot that I am using now.
I tried this in my insta pot using the slow cooker option- it never got hot-so going to buy a slow cooker just to try this recipe. I really want to try this after reading all the great reviews. Wanted to share this in case someone else is considering using the slow cooker option. Didn’t work for me- but can’t wait to try this one in my new slow cooker:)
Thanks for sharing Marsha. This recipe works really great using a slow cooker. Hope it becomes better next time!
Hi, recipe looks great. Was wondering what the 1/2 cup water listed on ingredients with the lasagna noodles is used for? I did not see any reference to this in the instructions.
Great question Donna, we have that listed on step 4 in the instructions “Top with remaining meat sauce, 3/4 cup mozzarella and pour 1/2 cup water around the edges, allowing some of it to go down the side of the dish into the lasagna.” I hope that helps.
Hello Natasha, my kids don’t like ricotta or cottage cheese. Can I use bechamel sauce in between the layers? Also do you have any recipes with bechamel sauce? Also wanted to say a huge thanks from my family. We love your recipes and tried many of them. I recommend your website to everyone.
Hi Irene, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
I did make the lasagna with bechamel sauce last night. It turned out great!!! Can’t cook it often. Bechamel of course has butter in it. But kids did like it and cleaned out their plates.
Ooh yum! I’d love to know how you made your bechamel sauce for this. Sounds wonderful! Did you omit the tomato sauce and use bechamel with the beef?
Sorry for responding so late. Did not see your comment till now. I used béchamel instead of cottage cheese. I didn’t omit the meat/tomato sauce. I used the recipe for my béchamel from here https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/white-sauce-or-bechamel-sauce-40046
If I didn’t want to use the cottage cheese could I substitute it for more of the ricotta cheese?
Hi Kristen, yes that would work fine to use only ricotta cheese.
Is it possible to cook this in a pressure cooker? What would you adjust the heat and time to?
HI Gabrielle, I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
If using and 8qt do u need yo make any additions or cook for longer?
I have made this recipe time and time again for my step kids, and they LOVE it. My only question at this point, as a person relatively new to cooking, do you have any tips for turning this into a make ahead meal? Thanks for sharing this wonderful, easy, delicious recipe!
Hi Johanna, I’m so glad you all love the lasagna! Thank you for sharing your awesome review! This can be made a day ahead – assemble it in the crockpot a day ahead. I love it for Sundays because I can make it the night before, refrigerate overnight then start it in the morning and have it ready when we get home from church. It also reheats really well. Leftover lasagna is my favorite kind of leftover food! I hope that helps 🙂
This was amazing, but, made way to much for us. Next time will cut it in half. Question..stored the rest in the crockpot in the fridge over night. Can I reheat it in the crockpot without it drying out?
Hi Karen, I think that should work! I recommend making sure to not over heat it!
I added about 1 1/2 cp of just plain tomatoe juice, put the crock on low for 4 hrs. It still turned out great. Thanks so much for this recipe. It’s definitely a keeper.
Cheers from cold country Canada,
it’s real comfort food on a a cold night.
I’m so happy to hear that Karen!!
Will this work in a 3 qt slow cooker?
Hi Steph! I would suggest making 1/2 if not less of the recipe for a 3Qt slow cooker. The full recipe would overwhelm a 4Qt slow cooker let alone 3 qt :). Some of the ingredients are difficult to calculate to in 1/2 but I think as long as you get close, you’ll be ok. You don’t have to be ultra precise with this recipe. I hope that helps!
I really love how easy this is to make! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Isn’t that the best! Thank you for sharing your review with us!
Oh my gosh this turned out exactly as pictured. YUMMY!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for that wonderful review, Aimee!
This is the ultimate comfort food! Everyone loves it!
Thank you for that amazing review, Lauren!
This is one of my favorite ways to make lasagna. Sooo stinking good!
Hey mine too! 🙂 I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Alli!
I’m looking forward to trying this soon! I do have slow cooker liners, though- will I be able to omit the 1/2 cup water if I just use a liner? Thanks in advance and Happy Mother’s Day! 💐
Hi Suzanne, I haven’t tested it without the water since the water is absorbed by the noodles and it helps them cook through. Happy Mother’s Day to you also!
I made this for dinner tonight & ir was perfect! Cooking it in the crockpot freed up the oven and I got a bunch of Christmas cookies made! Win, win. Now I know we can have lasagna even in the Florida heat, yea, no oven! Thank you
I made this on 12.17.18 for our office Christmas Potluck and Secret Santa. This was delicious. It was absolutely amazing. Two things I did NOT due was use the wine, and cook on low. In my mine 3 – 4 hours in a crock pot meant high, and that is how I cooked it. And it was fabulous!
My colleagues could not believe it. Nothing but comments. Love, love, love. Thank you!!!
That’s so great, Patricia!! 🙂 I’m so happy you all enjoyed that! Thank you for that great review
Made this tonight. Followed it although I did add some Italian sausage, pepperoni and a little zucchini. It was incredible. Thanks for the inspiration. Had a happy family tonight.
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :). I’m all smiles!
hi Natasha i was wondering if you have more slow cooker recipes. i just bought one but cant seem to find any good recipes to try. =)
HI Valentina, if you click on “RECIPES” at the top of the page, there is a category for slow cooker recipes. I hope you love everything you try!
thank you so much but do you by any chance know any good Slow Cooker book recipes that i can look into? & is an instant pot/pressure cooker the same thing as slow cooker?
Hi Valentina, the newer instant pots have the capability to serve as a slow cooker. I don’t own any slow cooker books so I can’t recommend one. Maybe someone else can share if they have a slow cooker book they love? (Thanks in advance!)
Also, check out our slow cooker recipe index here.
Just a quick question, I’ve made the crock pot lasagna Yesterday (Saturday evening) and stuck it in the fridge for sunday. We ended up with other plans and I did not cook it the next day, How long do you think it can an it stay refrigerated?
Thanks
Hi Yelena, I have tested it refrigerated overnight before cooking it but haven’t tested it beyond that.
PS I didn’t bother oiling the crock pot… figured there was enough fat in the beef mixture!
I’ve been wanting to try a crock pot pasta dish for a while now but was a bit intimidated by the fact that I use gluten-free pasta, and I wasn’t sure if the end result would be good. But, it was awesome! Everyone loved it.
My changes, in case anyone else is interested: Tinkyada brown rice lasagna noodles (12 pieces), 2 24oz jars of sauce, whole milk ricotta, whole milk yogurt + gluten-free flour (like a white sauce) instead of the cottage cheese, mix of Italian cheese and cheddar for the mozzarella, added chopped spinach along with the layers.
Mine was on low closer to 3 1/2 hours, and while the noodles were soft, it was good. Definitely a keeper!
Awesome, I’m happy to hear the recipe turned out good! Thanks for sharing your helpful review with other readers Karla!
I made this for a work pot-luck. To say it was a hit would be an understatement. I’m not allowed to bring anything else now for our monthly pot-luck! Not just one of my favorite lasagna recipes…it’s on my Top 3 CrockPot recipe list!
Thank you so much for turning me into this staple!
WoW, that’s quite the compliment! I’m happy to hear how much everyone loves the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review Stacey!
Do you know how long it would take in a insta pot?
Hi Anna, I haven’t experimented in an instant pot so I’m not 100% sure. You might take a look online for temperature and timing if someone else has tried making an instant pot lasagna. If you experiment, please let me know how it goes. I’m so curious! 🙂
Hey Natasha! So excited to have this for dinner tomorrow. The meat sauce smells AMAZING. I was wondering how much cheese you end up adding in the end? Throughout the recipe, it seems you use 2 cups. And then you mentioned that the reserved cheese goes on in the end but didn’t specify how much. Do you really use 2 cups for the top or did I miscalculate? Thanks for the response!
Hi Esther, sorry you are totally right – that could have been more clear. I updated the recipe to clarify. You use 1 cup of the cheese in the cheese sauce then 3/4 cup of cheese every time you add a layer of cheese and 3/4 cup of the remaining cheese at the very end for the last 10 minutes, to total 4 cups of cheese. What I meant to say with the confusing 1/4ths that I was using earlier was 1/4 of the remaining cheese after the 1 cup was used in the cheese sauce. Sorry for the confusion 🙂
Do you drain the meat after browning before adding remaining ingredients?
Hi Sue, I do not drain the meat, but if you feel yours lets off an excessive amount of oil, you can drain off the fat. It can depend on the %-age fat content of your beef.
Hi Natasha, if I have a 5 quart slow cooker what should I change?
Hi Alina, I think it should still fit into a 5 Qt slow cooker without adjustments.
I just made this and amazing! I forgot the water but I used extra marinara instead. Was by far my best Lasagna. Thank you for your recipe.
Excellent, I’m glad to hear the recipe was such a success. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
This lasagna looks delicious. I’m making it right now and the instructions say to cook it on low for 3 in half hours but the things is on my slow cooker my settings are high 4 hrs, high 6 hrs, low 8 hrs, and low 10 hrs. I don’t know what setting to put it on? But I need it done by 7pm latest today I got guests coming. Should I put it on high ? Thank you 🙂
Hi Yuliya, I’m sorry for the late reply. Set the slow cooker to 8hrs on low and also set up a separate timer for 3.5 hours. I hope this helps.
Made this for a school dinner and everyone LOVED it!!
I’m so glad to hear that Robin! Thanks for sharing your great review!
I’m planning on making for a pot luck, my only question is, have you ever used a crock pot bag to keep the cleaning of the crock pot easy?
Hi Tricia, I have used a crockpot bag before just in experimenting with them, but I haven’t tried it with this recipe. I think it would work if you wanted to ave some cleanup 🙂
Natasha, thanks for sharing this recipe. I have a quick question, is the measurement for the ricotta and cottage cheese in weight or in volume)? Thanks
Hi Maddy, they are volume. Ricotta would be 425 g and cottage cheese would be 453 g by weight.
Hi Natasha-
Thanks for sharing the recipe! I want to try this but was wondering…Would you suggest doubling up on the Ricotta if you didn’t want to use Cottage Cheese, or would you try another cheese like Mascarpone?
Hi Jason, I think the cottage cheese and ricotta blend works best for flavor and texture but you could replace the cottage cheese with ricotta if you prefer. I would probably do 1 1/2 times the ricotta if omitting cottage cheese.
Made this tonight. As good or better than any conventionally cooked lasagna recipe we have made. We did half ground beef and half sweet Italian sausage to pump up the Italian flavor. It was incredible tasting and pretty easy.
Yum, that sounds delicious! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe Chad! Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
Hi Natasha! What meat would be the best to use if I wanted to make my own ground beef?
Hi Nelli, I think the most reasonable one would be stew meat, but really most beef cuts with some marbling in it would work.
I read on another slow cooker recipe that using olive oil or butter (to oil the slow cooker) will cause the sides of the lasagna to burn. That recipe recommended only using vegetable oil on the sides of the slow cooker.
Thank you for sharing that tip! I usually use olive oil but it is an extra light olive oil (not extra virgin) because the extra light has a higher smoke point and doesn’t burn easily.
Making this today ! I don’t want to burn my noodles, have you tried regular veggie oil for the sides ?
Hi Brittany, I haven’t tried that since I haven’t had any issues with burning the sides, but vegetable oil should work just as well.
I bought the oven ready noodles. Will they work in this recipe?
Hi Diana, with oven ready, you run the risk of the pasta becoming mushy which is why I specified: 9 regular uncooked lasagna noodles (NOT “oven ready”). It will probably still taste good but the noodles might be mushy and falling apart.
Made this yesterday and it was delish! Thank you
You’re welcome! Thanks for sharing Sandra 🙂
I’ve never made homemade lasagna, always thought it was too complicated plus husband preferred stouffers store bought lasagna. I decided to give this recipe a try and oh myyyyyyy we’re hooked! Better than any lasagna we ever tasted !! Thanks so much for a delicious, easy step-by-step recipe! You rock 🙌🏻
Awww that is so great!! I’m so happy you both loved the lasagna 🙂 Thank you for the wonderful review!
Made this today. I used everything as the recipe stated and unfortunately the sides of lasagna were scorched. Also, the noodles were very soft. I used the regular lasagna noodles, not oven ready. I used my 6 quart crock pot that I purchased at Costco. Oiled it beforehand and added the 1/2 a cup of water around the edges when I finished layering. Not sure, do you think that less time on low could fix this problem? But in the end, it was still worth it. My family emptied out the crock pot in no time!!!
Hi Oksana! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it! I probably have that same slow cooker (mine is from Costco also) and I haven’t experienced that. Maybe try cooking it for less time next time – maybe 30 minutes less. The noodles should be cooked through by then. And, you used the same amount of marinara?
Hi Natasha,
Hi Natasha,
I made the lasagna yesterday and it was delicious, but the noodles were almost as soft as the cheese sauce. I’m not sure if less cooking time is required for the shallow crock that I use (it’s a 9″ x 13″ casserole crock pot). Do you think I should reduce the cooking time for a firmer lasagna?
Hi Marlene! You might reduce it for a shallower crockpot – I would try to cut into it at 3 hours and then again at 3 1/2 hours to see how easilly the noodles slice. I had that happen when I made this with gluten free noodles that were made out of brown rice – it still taste good but it was way too soft. Also, make sure you are using regular uncooked lasagna noodles, not the no-cook or ready made ones.
Hi Natasha,
Yes, I used 3 cups of marinara sauce for the meat sauce and 1 cup for the bottom of a slow cooker. I am going to attempt this recipe again next week and see if decreasing the cooking time by 30 minutes might fix my problem. Thank you!
Ok, keep me posted!! Also, did you make it ahead of time and refrigerate overnight or did you just put it in the slow cooker right away and start it on low? Just curious… Thanks!!
I put it in the slow cooker right away and started on low;) Thanks!
I made this again today and wow was it good!! It seriously tastes just like the oven version and I love that I can make it ahead which is perfect for Sundays! Thanks!!
I’m so happy you loved it!! Thanks for sharing your great review 🙂
Mine overcooked and it was burnt on the sides, and I did use low heat setting. 😔I wish I used an oven for this same recipe instead of a slow cooker.
I’m not sure why that would happen. I’ve made it over and over and I’ve never had it burn on the edges, but I’m always happy to help troubleshoot. Can you tell me what kind of slow cooker you are using? Did you alter the proportions at all? Used the same amount of marinara and added the water before turning it on? Also, did you possibly start the slow cooker on high and then reduce the heat to low?
Delicious! You’re right, it does taste just like the oven baked version!
Thanks for another great slow-cooker recipe. 🙂
I’m so happy you loved it!! 🙂 Thank you for the awesome review 🙂
Hi, Natasha. At the moment, this lasagna is cooking away for a work potluck and it looks scrumptious!
I am curious to know: why not cook the lasagna on high, for a shorter period of time?
Hi Sarah, cooking on high won’t allow the noodles to cook properly and you’ll end up with scorched sides and an undercooked center.
Hello Natasha!
If I make half the recipe, how long should I cook the lasagna?
Thanks!
Hi Ella, that’s a tough question because the noodles need the full cooking time to be cooked through but it might end up a little dry with half the recipe. It would work if you were putting it into a smaller round crockpot so that it stacks a little taller even with half the recipe. I hope that helps! 🙂
Maybe I could do an oven version. Would that help?
Yes that would be fine. I have my oven version posted here. You could halve the recipe and put it in a smaller baking dish then bake as usual. It might be done 10 minutes sooner 🙂
Hi Natasha,
I have a 4Qt slow cooker and dont want to go out and buy the 6qt one. Can you give me any advise on how to adjust the recipe to fit the 4qt slow cooker?
Hi Lilian, I would suggest making 2/3 of the recipe for a 4Qt slow cooker. The full recipe would overwhelm a 4Qt slow cooker while half would not be quite enough. Some of the ingredients are difficult to calculate to 2/3 but I think as long as you get close, you’ll be ok. You don’t have to be ultra precise with this recipe. I hope that helps!
Natasha, is there anything i can substitute the cottage cheese with(like cream cheese?) or does it make a big difference if i just opt out?
Hi Ksusha, I haven’t tested it that way and this recipe is how I always make my classic lasagna also so I’m not sure. I can’t really recommend that without testing it myself.
Yum! I love a good lasagna and it’s even better that this can sit in the slowcooker! Slowcooker is life!
I agree – it saves time and makes cooking so much easier!! 🙂 It’s my favorite little appliance especially for Sundays!
Wow this recipe is great! First time using my crockpot too lol. Never made lasagna before but last night was a huge hit! Thanks for posting 🙂
I’m so happy it was a huge hit for you!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! 🙂
You’re welcome. The only thing was that the edges were burnt. I followed all the instructions, not sure why it came out that way.
Hi Katie, I wonder if it is a difference in how various slow cooker’s heat, or maybe it has to do with the seal on the lid. The slow cooker I’m using is this one and it didn’t burn the edges at all. This entire lasagna disappeared in 1 Sunday afternoon :). I’m just curious, what brand and size of slow cooker are you using? Also, did you only cook on low heat (not high?)
This is the one I have. Yes, I cooked it on low
Thanks for sharing that! Interesting – it’s almost the same one I have. Yours is a little fancier than mine but same brand. Did you add the extra 1/2 cup water and use the same amount of marinara?
Yep! Did everything the same. Not sure why it came out the way it did
It must be a difference in slow cookers. Have you ever tried making a casserole in your slow cooker before?
I love lasagna so much…this method looks amazing!
Thank you Sara! It’s easier and I honestly thought it was just as good as the classic! 🙂
Thank you Natasha once again for a wonderful recipe. All the flavors came together perfectly! Just a little tip i would cook it 3 hours on low instead of 4. The edges were burnt, pasta was a little over cooked and he ricotta too dry. Also I think next time I’ll try adding 1 cup wanted at the end instead of 1/2. 😘
Hi Alinka, I’m so glad you liked it!! I wonder if it is a difference in how various slow cooker’s heat, or maybe it has to do with the seal on the lid. I’m just curious, what brand and size of slow cooker are you using? Also, did you only cook on low heat (not high?) or change anything I. The proportions of the recipe? Thanks so much! 🙂
Mmmmm wow yummmm never slow cooked lasagna recipe looks really way scrumptious especially the cheese thanx for posting sweetheart cheers
Oh I hope you love it! I seriously love it just as much as classic lasagna. This is definitely a slow-cooker winner!! 🙂
Natasha,
When you say you can assemble it the night before, do you put the crockpot dish in the fridge overnight or on the counter? Sounds like a wonderful recipe and would like to do the night before to save time.
Thankyou!
Hi Mary, yes assemble completely then cover and refrigerate overnight and the following day cook as usual.
Even though the dish will be cold from the fridge, does it still cook within the frame of time you suggested?
Mary Theresa
=)
I cooked it for the same amount of time and it was great. 🙂
Do you think this will taste good with eggplant instead of beef?
Hi Ella, I definitely think you could make it taste great as a vegetarian lasagna and I do love eggplant so let me know if you experiment with it. 🙂
Hi Natasha!
What if munch slow cooker can only be set on high for 4 hours, and doesn’t have an option for setting it on low for 4 hours?
I just figured out that I can set it to 8 hours on low and open It after 4. Haha
Oh perfect!! Yes that should work fine 🙂
My crockpot is the same. The 4 hour setting is labeled High. My 8 hour setting is labeled Low. Is it okay to set it for 8 hours and then just turn it off at 4 hours? I’m assuming it will reach a safe temperature by then. Any thoughts?