This slow cooker lasagna is a simple, hands-off weekend dinner made with layers of lasagna noodles, a hearty meat sauce, and a high-protein cottage cheese-parmesan filling. It’s delicious and easy to make!
Crockpot Lasagna
I love making this Slow Cooker Lasagna on Sundays when I’m away at church. I come home to a protein-packed, family friendly dinner everyone in my home loves. Cooked low and slow, it delivers all the cozy, classic lasagna flavor without turning on the oven. It’s perfect for relaxed weekends, family dinners, and leftovers that taste even better the next day. If you’re looking for more easy crock-pot dinners like this, you’ll find so many cozy, meals in my slow cooker recipes collection.
Why I Love This Crockpot Lasagna
I made this lasagna in my slow cooker for dinner the other night on a bit of a whim, starting with my high-protein lasagna recipe and tweaking it as I went. I wasn’t totally sure how it would turn out. Slow cooker lasagna can be unpredictable, but it was a huge hit with my family. The noodles cooked perfectly, the layers held together, and the leftovers were just as good the next day. This one is definitely going into our regular dinner rotation.
- Traditional lasagna with much less effort: No need to turn on the oven or spend the afternoon in the kitchen.
- No boiling required: Even though we’re not using no-boil noodles, you still don’t need to boil them. They cook right in the sauce!
- Kid-approved: Chessy pasta with meat sauce? Say no more!
- Perfect freezer meal: It freezes well and reheats like a dream, making it an ideal meal-prep recipe.
- High Protein: This healthy lasagna recipe with cottage cheese provides 35.5 grams of protein per serving.
For another simple version, try my Skillet Lasagna, which cooks all in one pan.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are all the ingredients for this easy slow cooker lasagna recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Ground Meat: I like using 90% lean ground sirloin or bison.
- Aromatics: Diced onion and minced garlic
- Seasoning: Kosher salt and Italian seasoning
- Crushed Tomatoes: My favorite canned tomatoes are Tuttorosso, which are higher quality than many other brands.
- Water: We need a little water to thin the crushed tomatoes.
- Cheese: Cottage cheese replaces traditional ricotta for more protein and is combined with Parmesan (or Pecorino Romano) and shredded mozzarella to create the cheesiest filling. If you prefer ricotta, feel free to swap.
- Parsley for extra flavor
- Eggs bind the cheese filling together so it doesn’t leak out when cooked.
- Lasagna Noodles: Use regular uncooked noodles. No-boil noodles won’t work well in a crockpot.
How to Make Slow Cooker Lasagna
After you make the meat sauce and cottage cheese filling, assemble the lasagna in the slow cooker and let it cook. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions.
- Brown the meat: It’s essential to cook the ground beef before adding it to the crock pot. The texture will be much better! Add it to an oiled pot over medium-high heat and season with salt. Break it up as it cooks, then add the onions and garlic.
- Make the meat sauce: Add the crushed tomatoes and water to the meat, then sprinkle with Italian seasoning and the remaining salt. Simmer over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- Make the filling: In a bowl, mix the cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan, half the mozzarella, and parsley.
- Layer the lasagna: Spray your slow cooker with oil, then cover the bottom with meat sauce. Add lasagna noodles, breaking them as needed to fit, and top with meat sauce and 1/3 of the cheese. Repeat the layers 2 more times, ending with noodles and any remaining sauce.
- Cook the lasagna on low for 3 ½ to 4 hours. The time can vary depending on your crockpot and the type of noodles. After 3 hours, poke the center with a knife to check if the noodles are tender. If the knife doesn’t slide in easily, continue cooking for another 30 minutes to an hour.
- How to serve: Sprinkle the remaining cup of mozzarella over the top, cover, and cook until the cheese melts. Remove the lid and let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before slicing. If you cut into it too soon, it won’t hold together well.
Tips for Perfect Slow Cooker Lasagna
- Use regular, uncooked lasagna noodles. They soften during cooking and hold their shape better than no-boil noodles in the slow cooker.
- Start with sauce on the bottom. This prevents sticking and ensures the noodles hydrate evenly instead of drying out.
- Don’t skimp on sauce. Slow cookers don’t reduce liquid like the oven does, but the noodles still need enough moisture to cook through, so I used more sauce than my baked recipe.
- Keep the lid closed. Each time you lift it, you lose heat and moisture, which can result in undercooked or gummy noodles.
- Cook on low, not high. I know you might be tempted, but trust the process. Low heat gives the noodles time to soften evenly and prevents the cheese layer from separating.
- Let it rest before slicing. Resting for at least 15 minutes helps the layers set, so it slices cleanly instead of turning into lasagna soup.
- Add the mozzarella at the end. Sprinkling it on during the final 5 to 10 minutes keeps it melty and gooey instead of overcooked.
Variations
- Meat options: Substitute lean ground turkey or chicken.
- Boost the nutrition: If you want to make it heartier, sauté chopped vegetables, such as mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers, and zucchini, then add them to the sauce.
- Vegetarian slow cooker lasagna: Replace the meat with vegetables.
- Keep it traditional and use ricotta instead of cottage cheese. You can also use a mix of both. I love the cottage cheese, though, because it’s hard to tell the difference between it and ricotta, and it’s lower in calories and higher in protein.
- No time to make homemade meat sauce? After browning the meat, stir in two 24-ounce jars of marinara and the water, then begin building your layers in the slow cooker.
- Allergic to eggs? You can omit them.
- Gluten-free lasagna: Use gluten-free noodles (I have not tested this).
- Switch up the herbs. Swap parsley with fresh basil.
Make-Ahead, Storage, and Leftovers
- Make Ahead: Cook the meat sauce and make the cheese filling the day before, then refrigerate both in airtight containers. On the day you plan to eat it, assemble the lasagna in the slow cooker.
- Refrigerate lasagna in airtight containers for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- How to reheat: Thaw in the fridge, then reheat in the microwave or in an oven preheated to 350°F until warm.
More Slow Cooker Dinner Recipes You’ll Love
For more dinner ideas, check out these five delicious slow cooker recipes to inspire your next meal!
Yield: servings
Serving Size: 1 /8th of recipe
- olive oil spray
- 1 pound 90% lean ground sirloin beef, or bison
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes, (I swear by Tuttorosso)
- ¼ cup water
- 3 cups part-skim cottage cheese, from 1 1/2 16-ounce containers, or use ricotta cheese or mix of both
- 1 ½ cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese , or Pecorino Romano, freshly grated
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 12 regular uncooked lasagna noodles, such as Barilla 11.25 ounces (not no-boil)
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Spray a large pot over medium-high heat with oil, when hot add the ground beef and ¾ teaspoon salt. Sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the ground beef is mostly cooked then add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, 2 minutes.
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Add the crushed tomatoes and ¼ cup water (swoosh it around the tomato can to get every last bit) then add to the pot.
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Season with Italian seasoning, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
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Meanwhile while the sauce cooks, in a large bowl, mix together the cottage cheese (or ricotta), beaten eggs, Parmesan cheese, ½ cup of the mozzarella, and the chopped parsley. Set aside.
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Spray the sides of an oval 6-quart slow cooker with olive oil, then spread 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom. Layer 3 lasagna noodles (break them to fit if needed), add 1 generous cup meat sauce, followed by ⅓ of the cheese mixture. Repeat this process 2 more time, finishing with the last 3 noodles. Top with the remaining sauce (you might have a little extra).
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Cook on low for 3 ½ to 4 hours, or as long as 6 if needed (time will vary depending on your slow cooker and the noodles you use). At the 3 hour mark, poke the center with a knife to see if the noodles are tender, if it slides in easily and noodles feel tender it’s done. If there’s resistance, add another 30 to 60 minutes.
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When noodles are tender, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup mozzarella over the top, cover, and cook until the cheese is melted, 5 to 10 minutes. Let it stand for 10 minutes with the lid off, then cut into 8 pieces. Garnish with parsley, if desired.
Last Step:
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- Add in some veggies like spinach, or add mushrooms to the sauce.
- Store the leftovers in the fridge for 4 days in airtight containers.
- Freeze for up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers. Thaw in the fridge then reheat or cook as normal.
Tips for Perfect Lasagna in the Slow Cooker
- Use regular, uncooked lasagna noodles. They soften during cooking and hold their shape better than no-boil noodles in the slow cooker.
- Start with sauce on the bottom. This prevents sticking and ensures the noodles hydrate evenly instead of drying out.
- Don’t skimp on sauce. Slow cookers don’t reduce liquid like the oven does, but the noodles still need enough moisture to cook through, so I used more sauce than my baked recipe.
- Keep the lid closed. Each time you lift it, you lose heat and moisture, which can result in undercooked or gummy noodles.
- Cook on low, not high. I know you might be tempted, but trust the process. Low heat gives the noodles time to soften evenly and prevents the cheese layer from separating.
- Let it rest before slicing. Resting for at least 15 minutes helps the layers set, so it slices cleanly instead of turning into lasagna soup.
- Add the mozzarella at the end. Sprinkling it on during the final 5 to 10 minutes keeps it melty and gooey instead of overcooked.
Serving: 1 /8th of recipe, Calories: 431 kcal, Carbohydrates: 47 g, Protein: 35.5 g, Fat: 12.5 g, Saturated Fat: 5.5 g, Cholesterol: 104.5 mg, Sodium: 997.5 mg, Fiber: 5.5 g, Sugar: 9 g
