Creating a mouthwatering lasagna doesn’t have to mean hours spent in the kitchen. This slow cooker lasagna recipe delivers all the rich, comforting flavors you love while letting your crockpot do the heavy lifting.
With just 25 minutes of prep work, you’ll get a hearty, cheesy masterpiece packed with 39g of protein per serving. Perfect for busy weeknights or weekend family dinners, this hands-off method produces perfectly layered pasta, savory meat sauce, and melted cheese that rivals any traditional oven-baked version.
Key Ingredients
- Ground Meats: ½ lb each of lean ground beef and Italian sausage for rich flavor
- Cheese Blend: 4 cups mozzarella, 1½ cups cottage cheese, and ½ cup fresh parmesan for perfect creaminess
- Sauce Components: Tomato paste, tomato sauce, and seasonings create a flavorful base
- Noodles: 8 oz uncooked lasagna noodles, no pre-boiling needed
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce for depth
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Meat Sauce Preparation: Brown meats with onion until cooked through. Add seasonings, sauces, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until fragrant
- Cheese Mixture: Combine mozzarella, cottage cheese, and parmesan in a bowl until well mixed
- Layer Assembly: Start with ¼ meat sauce, then layer noodles and cheese mixture. Repeat layers twice
- Final Touch: Top with remaining sauce and extra mozzarella for that golden finish
- Slow Cooking: Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours until noodles become perfectly tender
Make-Ahead Tips
Good news – you can prep the meat sauce ahead of time! Make it up to 2 days before and keep it in the fridge. This makes assembly super quick when you’re ready to cook. The sauce actually gets even tastier as the flavors mingle together in the fridge.
Easy Substitutions
This lasagna recipe is really flexible! Don’t have cottage cheese? You can use ricotta instead. For the meat, try all beef or all Italian sausage if you prefer. Want to make it veggie? Skip the meat and add sautéed mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach.
The no-boil noodles work great here, but regular lasagna noodles are fine too – just make sure they’re completely covered by the sauce.
Storage & Leftovers
Once cooled, pop any leftover lasagna in an airtight container – it’ll stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days. This dish actually freezes really well too! Cut it into portions, wrap them up well, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm it up in the microwave or oven until heated through.
Serving Ideas
This cozy lasagna loves a simple side salad and some warm garlic bread. To make it extra special, sprinkle some fresh basil on top just before serving. Want to dress it up? Heat up any extra sauce you have and spoon it over each serving – so good! Let it rest for about 10 minutes after cooking so it’s easier to serve and the layers stay neat.
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Large skillet
Ingredients
Meat Sauce
- 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 ounces tomato paste
- 29 ounces tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups water
Layers
- 8 ounces lasagna noodles uncooked
- 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat brown the ground beef, Italian sausage and onion.
- Add salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, parsley, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, tomato sauce, sugar, and water. Stir and simmer 15-20 minutes.
- 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).
- Combine the mozzarella, cottage cheese and parmesan cheese; spoon a third of the mixture over noodles.
- Repeat layers twice.
- 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.
