Easy Crockpot Lasagna Recipe
Tender pasta, savory meat sauce, and creamy cheese all come together effortlessly in this easy crockpot lasagna recipe—no fuss, all flavor, and perfect for busy nights.
This easy crockpot lasagna recipe is one of our favorite recipes that we like to add to our monthly menu planning meal rotation.
Served with a side salad and garlic bread, this lazy lasagna is the ultimate comfort food. The whole family is going to love it!
These recipes for slow cooker loaded potato soup, crockpot hamburger casserole, and chicken pesto parmesan are a few more of our favorite easy meals.
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There are two things that make life a whole lot easier when you have to feed an active family at the end of a busy day. First, using a crockpot and second, creating freezer meals. I absolutely love having meals prepped ahead of time that I can simply add to my menu planning each week.
I often do all of my freezer meal preparation in one “batch”, like in this Meal Planning post that I shared a few years ago. I have a number of delicious recipes that I like to include in meal planning, like these 12 Crockpot Freezer Meals.
I use a large 7-quart slow cooker to cook all of my freezer meals in. I love this size because it has lots of room for larger recipes that serve 6-8, but I can still use it for smaller recipes that only have 4 servings.
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Tips for Making Crockpot Freezer Meals
- Use 1-gallon, large freezer bags. Label bags with the date, recipe, and cooking instructions.
- Lay ingredients flat in the bag for easier storage in the freezer.
- This 7-Quart Oval Crockpot is the only one that I use and has lasted for over ten years!
- Defrost meals in the refrigerator or place frozen into the crockpot. If the meal is defrosted, reduce the cooking time accordingly (subtract two hours for most crockpot meals).
- Crockpot meals can easily be converted to Instant Pot recipes using this handy guide from Taste of Home – How to Convert Slow Cooker Recipes for the Instant Pot.
- Store meals for up to three months in the freezer.
How to Make Crockpot Lasagna
Ingredients
- Lean ground beef, browned and drained – Start by browning the beef in a large skillet over medium heat, then drain the fat to keep your meat sauce flavorful but not greasy.
- Lasagna noodles, broken into pieces – No need to boil these; they’ll soften perfectly as they soak up the tomato sauce in the crockpot.
- Diced tomatoes – These juicy chunks of tomato are the base of your marinara sauce, adding fresh, tangy flavor.
- Tomato paste – A thick, concentrated addition to deepen the tomato flavor in your sauce.
- Pasta sauce – Jarred spaghetti sauce is an easy shortcut to a perfectly seasoned, saucy lasagna.
- Celery, diced – A crunchy veggie that melds right into the sauce.
- Carrots, diced – These sweet little bits balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Onion, diced – Sauté them with the ground beef for a savory boost to the flavor.
- Green pepper, diced – Toss it in for a pop of color and a subtle kick of zest.
- Cottage cheese – The creaminess makes the lasagna extra comforting.
- Mozzarella cheese, grated – This is the ultimate gooey topping that melts perfectly in the slow cooker.
- Sugar – Just a touch helps cut the acidity in the tomato sauce.
- Parsley – Sprinkle this in for a bit of herby freshness.
- Oregano – A must-have seasoning for that authentic Italian taste.
- Garlic powder – Easy to use, this gives a subtle, even garlic flavor without the need for freshly minced garlic.
- Basil – A dash of basil brings in that sweet, earthy flavor.
- Salt – A simple way to bring out all the savory goodness in the dish.
- Pepper – A little kick of spice to round everything out.
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients, except mozzarella cheese, in the crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours.
- Just before serving, add the cheese and stir.
Variations
- Substitute some or all of the ground beef with Italian sausage or ground turkey.
- Add in some fresh spinach. You could also use frozen.
- Replace the dried herbs with fresh basil, oregano, and parsley.
- Use ricotta cheese in place of the cottage cheese.
- Try different types of cheese, like adding provolone, Romano, parmesan cheese, or an Italian cheese mixture. You could even try vegan cheeses.
- Instead of making this recipe with regular lasagna noodles, try it with other pasta shapes or even cheese ravioli.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure that the uncooked noodles are completely covered in sauce to prevent crunchy spots.
- If your lasagna looks dry toward the end, stir in a little extra spaghetti sauce or water to keep everything moist and tender.
- Adjust the spices to your liking. Use more or less garlic, oregano, or basil. You could also try adding an Italian seasoning blend.
- Use a little bit of olive oil or non-stick cooking spray in your crockpot to prevent your food from sticking.
- Reheating leftovers is easy when you store them in individual portions. Just grab one serving from the fridge and throw it in the microwave or oven for a quick meal.
- You can make this recipe using the layering process of a classic lasagna. Just make sure that the noodles are covered in sauce.
This slow cooker lasagna recipe is always a hit with the kids and it’s a winner for me, because it’s so easy to make on those busy weekdays! Be sure to check out this crockpot lasagna soup recipe that is also a family favorite.
If you love this easy crockpot lasagna recipe, please give it a five-star review and help me share it on Facebook and Pinterest!
Easy Crockpot Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs ground beef browned and drained
- 8 lasagna noodles broken into pieces
- 28 oz can diced tomatoes
- 5 ½ oz can tomato paste
- 20 oz jar pasta sauce
- ½ cup celery diced
- ½ cup carrots diced
- 1 cup onion diced
- ½ cup green pepper diced
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. Parsley
- ½ tsp. oregano
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. basil
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
Instructions
- Place all ingredients, except Mozzarella cheese, into a crockpot.
- Cook on low for 4 hours.
- Just before serving add the cheese and stir.
Nutrition
Do you freeze this recipe?
Yes I do.
I made this lasagne the other day and it was the best one I have ever made! It was not dry and the white sauce was easy to make. Love it
I’m so glad!! Yum!