This crockpot lasagna will have your heart at first bite. With layers of meaty tomato sauce, al dente lasagna noodles, and gooey 3-cheese goodness, this weeknight meal captures all that’s good about a classic lasagna—but it’s done in a crockpot!
If you love crockpot recipes, you’ll want to check out my Crock Pot Pork Loin, this tasty Slow Cooker Turkey Chili, and my Slow Cooker Italian Beef recipe. They’re just as simple and delicious, perfect for your collection of easy meals.
Lasagna and crockpots. Two things I associate with comfort food. What if I told you that you could make lasagna in a crockpot? That’s right. No more waiting around by the oven. Just press a couple of buttons and walk away. Dinner will be ready in a few hours. This heartwarming crockpot lasagna is prepared with homemade tomato meat sauce, lasagna noodles, and a creamy, cheesy ricotta-mozzarella-parmesan filling all layered together just like a classic lasagna, and man, does it hit the spot!
Why I Love This Crockpot Lasagna Recipe
Wondering why you should ditch your classic lasagna recipe and try this crockpot version instead? Read on!
- Set it and forget it. This is a great, easy meal to throw in the crockpot, press some buttons, and walk away from. Come dinner time, it’ll be ready to go.
- Big flavors. The seasoned, rich tomato sauce loaded with ground beef and seasoned Italian sausage simmers for 30 minutes. It then gets a bit over 3 hours in the crockpot to develop wonderfully big, bold, savory flavors. Low and slow certainly pays off here.
- Three cheese masterpieces. The layers of cheesy goodness in this lasagna are made from a classic combo of creamy, fresh ricotta, melty mozzarella, and parmesan with just a little bit of bite. It’s the perfect combination of flavors.
What You’ll Need
Gather your ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to turn this crockpot lasagna recipe into a mouthwatering reality.
For the meat sauce
- Olive oil – For sauteing the veggies and meat. Any neutral cooking oil will work.
- Yellow onion – White onion, red onion, or even shallots would also do the trick.
- Ground beef – I used 80/20 but a leaner ground beef would also work. So would ground turkey, chicken, or pork.
- Ground Italian sausage – I used sweet Italian sausage, and if you like a little spice, go with a spicy variety.
- Seasoning – Salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder.
- White wine – I use a sauvignon blanc but a pinto grigio or any other dryer white wine will work.
- Canned tomato products – Tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste.
- Italian seasoning – A classic, but you could always use your favorite blend of seasonings such as dried basil, thyme, and rosemary.
For the cheesy layer
- Cheeses – Whole milk ricotta, shredded mozzarella, and shredded parmesan.
- Olive oil
- Fresh basil – You can use dried basil in a pinch.
- Lasagna noodles – Use classic noodles, not the oven-ready ones.
- Fresh parsley
How To Make Crockpot Lasagna
Here comes a quick rundown of how to make this recipe for lasagna in a crockpot. You’ll find precise measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Saute the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent.
- Brown the meat. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet along with the seasoning, and cook until browned and cooed through, crumbling it as you go.
- Deglaze. Add the wine and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Make it sauce. Stir the tomato products and bring everything to a boil. Turn the heat to low, stir in the Italian seasoning, and cook for 30 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Make the cheesy layer. Whisk together the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, 1 cup parmesan, olive oil, and fresh basil.
- Prepare the crock pot. Grease the basin of the crockpot liberally with butter or olive oil.
- Assemble. Coat the bottom of the crockpot with sauce. Add a layer of noodles followed by a layer of the ricotta mixture. Repeat until you are out of ingredients. Sprinkle the remaining cheese.
- Cook. Cook on high for 3 hours and 30 minutes.
- Serve. Serve warm garnished with fresh chopped parsley.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Don’t crowd the pan. When browning the beef and sausage, don’t crowd the pan because the meat won’t caramelize properly. Brown in batches if needed.
- Deglaze the pan. When you pour the wine into the pan and then let the alcohol cook off, stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan, dislodging any brown bits left behind by the meat.
- Break up the noodles. The lasagna noodles likely won’t fit perfectly in the crockpot so don’t be afraid to break them up a bit.
- Cooking time. Many crockpot recipes will give you the option to cook on high for a shorter period of time or on low for a longer period of time. In this case, I really only recommend cooking on high for 3 1/2 hours. Attempting to cook this lasagna on low for double the time will result in a soggy mess.
- Protein swap. I used a combo of ground beef and Italian sausage. You are more than welcome to use just ground beef or just Italian sausage. You could also swap one or both out for ground turkey, chicken, pork, or even Impossible Meat.
- Pesto pizazz. Consider adding several dollops of pesto to each layer as you assemble the lasagna for a fun flavor surprise.
- Veggie-licious. Add extra veggies to the lasagna and mix in some sauteed mushrooms, carrots, zucchini, or bell pepper into the sauce. You could even stir a handful of baby spinach in when the sauce is almost done simmering.
Serving Ideas
My favorite way to serve slow cooker lasagna is with a light salad and crusty bread.
Proper Storage
- To store. Once the lasagna has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container. You can store it in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To reheat. Allow the leftovers to thaw in the fridge (if frozen) before transferring them to a baking dish. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350°F. Otherwise, microwave individual portions in 30-second intervals until heated through.
More Easy Crockpot Recipes
Keeping a few quality crockpot recipes in your back pocket can make your busiest weeks feel so much less stressful. Here are a few of my other top picks. Enjoy!
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Saute the onion. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent.
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Brown the meat. Add the ground beef and Italian sausage to the skillet. Break the meat apart with a spatula and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook the meat until browned and cooked through, breaking it apart as you go.
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Deglaze. Pour the white wine into the saucepan and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, knocking brown bits off of the bottom of the pan and into the sauce.
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Make it sauce. Stir the tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste into the meat mixture and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the Italian seasoning, and cook for 30 minutes.
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Season. Taste the sauce and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
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Make the cheesy filling. Whisk together the ricotta, 1 cup of mozzarella, 1 cup of parmesan, olive oil, and fresh basil.
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Prepare the crock pot. Grease the basin of the crockpot liberally with butter or olive oil.
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Assemble the lasagna. Ladle enough sauce into the crockpot to coat the bottom. Add a layer of lasagna noodles (you will need to break them up so as to fit). Spread some of the ricotta mixture over the top of the noodles. Repeat until you are out of ingredients (you want to end with a layer of sauce on top). Sprinkle the top of the lasagna with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.
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Cook. Cook on high for 3 hours and 30 minutes.
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Serve. Serve warm garnished with fresh chopped parsley.
Serving: 10 ounces | Calories: 562 kcal | Carbohydrates: 34 g | Protein: 32 g | Fat: 32 g | Saturated Fat: 14 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13 g | Trans Fat: 0.1 g | Cholesterol: 92 mg | Sodium: 1303 mg | Potassium: 745 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 7 g | Vitamin A: 1005 IU | Vitamin C: 12 mg | Calcium: 446 mg | Iron: 3 mg
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
