Slow Cooker Lasagna Recipe

Lasagna just got easier to make with this crockpot version! This Slow Cooker Lasagna recipe features a meaty sauce, three cheeses and uncooked lasagna pasta sheets that are layered and cooked low and slow in a crockpot. Based on my classic Lasagna Recipe, this is a simpler version with less steps because we use raw pasta. Grab the garlic bread because we are having Lasagna tonight!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Italian

Keyword classic lasagna, crockpot, homemade lasagna, lasagna recipe, slow cooker

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 322kcal

Equipment

1 6 qt. slow cooker or crockpot

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion diced
1 pound ground beef I used 97/3
3 cloves garlic minced
6 oz tomato paste 1 small can
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt to taste
28 oz Marinara Sauce I used Rao's
2 bay leaves
1 cup cold water
2 teaspoons sugar

For the Cheese Filling

2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese divided
2 whole eggs
salt & pepper to taste
dried basil
3/4 pound lasagna sheets

Instructions

Make the Meat Sauce

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add in diced onion and ground beef. Break beef apart as it browns. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add in tomato paste, basil, oregano and salt and cook 2-3 minutes or until the tomato paste starts to brown the bottom of the pan. (Not burn, but just brown slightly.) Immediately add in marinara sauce, bay leaves, water and sugar. Stir and bing to boil, then reduce to simmer and cook 30 minutes.

Make the Cheese Filling

While the sauce is simmering, mix the cottage cheese together with the parmesan cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, eggs, salt, pepper and basil. Set aside.

Assemble the Lasagna

Spray cold crockpot or slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Add a small amount of sauce to spread across the bottom to help prevent sticking. Add a layer of raw lasagna pasta sheets, breaking them to fit in place. Top the pasta sheets with 1/3 of the cheese mixture. Then add enough sauce to cover the noodles. Repeat this process until you have layered the cheese three times. Top with sauce, another layer of noodles and more sauce, finishing with a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. So here is an easier way to remember it:
sauce | Lasagna pasta sheets | 1/3 cheese mixture | 1/4 of the sauce | Lasagna pasta sheets | 1/3 cheese mixture | 1/4 sauce | Lasagna pasta sheets | 1/3 cheese mixture | 1/4 sauce | Lasagna pasta sheets | Last of the sauce | Mozzarella cheese

Cook

Add the lid to the top of the slow cooker and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours OR until the pasta is al dente. Alternately, you can cook this for 3 hours on low. Again, it is done when the pasta is al dente. Turn crockpot off completely and set aside to rest. This will make it easier to serve. Cut into pieces and serve.

Nutrition