Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe - The Girl on Bloor (2024)

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By Taylor Stinson | 135 Comments | Posted: | Updated:

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This is the Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe – it cooks hands-off all day and is super easy to assemble. Plus, it freezes well!

Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe - The Girl on Bloor (1)

Ingredients and substitutions

  • Extra-lean ground beef – you could also make this lasagna with ground turkey or pork.
  • Yellow onion ­– white onion or shallots would be the best substitute here.
  • Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic will work in a pinch.
  • Salt & pepper – to taste.
  • Jars tomato sauce – I like Classico’s sweet basil marinara sauce, but you can use any tomato sauce of your choice. If you’re feeling fancy, you can even make your own!
  • Lasagna noodles ­– both oven-ready and normal lasagna noodles will work for this recipe.
  • Ricotta cheese – cottage cheese can be used instead but it will have a different texture.
  • Mozzarella cheese – use either pre-shredded or freshly grated mozzarella. Add in some parmesan for extra richness!
  • Fresh basil ­– fresh parsley would also be good to garnish.
Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe - The Girl on Bloor (2)

How to make lasagna in the crockpot

Step 1: Brown the ground beef.

In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef over med-high heat.

Step 2: Make the sauce.

When beef is almost cooked through, add onions, garlic, salt & pepper and 1 jar of tomato sauce, then stir to combine.

Step 3: Add in the meat sauce.

Spray slow cooker with cooking spray, then layer in a bit of meat sauce.

Step 4: Layer the lasagna noodles.

Add lasagna noodles (you may need to break some into pieces to make them fit).

Step 5: Spoon ricotta and cheese over top.

Add some ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

Step 6: Add another layer of sauce.

Add more of the meat sauce. Repeat until the slow cooker is full – usually 3 layers total.

Step 7: Finish layering the lasagna.

Pour the other jar of tomato sauce overtop of lasagna, then add mozzarella cheese to the top. Pour water in on the sides.

Step 8: Cook and then serve!

Cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 6 hours. Garnish lasagna with basil and/or parsley, then serve and enjoy!

Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe - The Girl on Bloor (3)

Additional filling ideas

If you want to up your lasagna game, you can use this crockpot lasagna as a base and add to it.

You can change the type of ground meat from beef to chicken, pork or turkey. Make it vegetarian with tofu, or just leave out the protein altogether and add a ton of veggies.

Add some of these ingredients for a flavour and nutrition boost:

  • Spinach
  • Mushrooms
  • Zucchini
  • Kale
  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower

You can also change up the flavour by altering the type of tomato sauce you use. Adding spices such as red pepper flakes will also increase the flavor.

Try using cottage cheese instead of ricotta for a change in texture. Or add some parmesan for extra richness.

Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe - The Girl on Bloor (4)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many layers should you have in a lasagna?

This lasagna should have about three layers, but it really depends on the size of your crockpot. There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to how many layers your lasagna should have! Just make sure you’re not overfilling the crockpot and that each layer is about one-inch thick.

How long should it cook for?

This recipe will cook in the crockpot on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.

What sauce do you use?

To add some complex flavours to your sauce, you can use tomato sauce with seasoning added to it such as the sweet basil sauce I recommend. This sauce is the Classico brand, but feel free to use whatever sort of pasta sauce is your favourite! If you don't want to use jarred pasta sauce, you can make your own tomato sauce by mixing together strained/crushed tomatoes, some Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, a tiny bit of brown sugar and a little garlic.

What do you serve with lasagna?

Lasagna can be heavy with all the starches of the pasta, so serving it with something light rounds out the meal nicely. Try serving this crockpot lasagna with a side salad, green beans, roasted veggies or some nice fresh garlic bread.

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Storing and reheating

You can assemble this entire slow cooker lasagna ahead of time and cook it the next day. Brown the meat and make the layers in your crockpot by following the instructions listed in the recipe card below. Pop the entire crockpot in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, cook the lasagna as instructed.

This recipe gets even better after it sits for a day and you can store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. It makes a satisfying lunch or dinner!

This recipe tastes great, even after being reheated in the microwave. Be sure to sprinkle a little water over top and then reheat it in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes. Place a damp paper towel over top to minimize splattering in the microwave and to ensure that the lasagna tastes fresh and moist after reheating. You can also reheat the whole lasagna in the oven for 20 minutes at 350° Fahrenheit.

Freezing this recipe

Lasagna is a great freezer meal because it holds up so well. You can freeze lasagna cooked or uncooked for up to 3 months.

You will need to brown the meat before freezing it. After that, you can choose to freeze the entire meal. Put everything except the tomato sauce together in an airtight container and freeze. When you are ready to cook it, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then dump it in the crockpot the next morning. Your layers will not be perfect and it will be more like a casserole, but the flavour will be the same.

You can also completely cook this meal then freeze it. Lasagna can even be cut and frozen in individual portions so it’s easy to grab quickly and have a healthy, filling lunch. Let the lasagna cool in the refrigerator overnight so it’s easier to cut into even pieces then freeze each individual serving. Then, just pop a serving in the microwave for 7 to 8 minutes, sprinkling some water over top so it doesn’t dry out.

Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe - The Girl on Bloor (6)
Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe - The Girl on Bloor (7)

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Meal prep tools for this recipe

  • Grab someglass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning thislasagna into your weekly lunches.
  • I get all my grass-fed ground beef from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.
  • Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.

Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe - The Girl on Bloor (11)

Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe

This is the Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe – it cooks hands-off all day and is super easy to assemble. Plus, it freezes well!

4.91 from 390 votes

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Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 470kcal

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 lb extra-lean ground beef
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp each salt & pepper
  • 2 (650mL) jars tomato sauce (I used Classico's sweet basil marinara sauce)
  • 1 lb lasagna noodles (can use either oven ready or normal) uncooked
  • 1 (475g) tub ricotta cheese
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Chopped fresh basil or parsley, for garnish

Instructions

  • In a large frying pan, brown the ground beef over med-high heat. When beef is almost cooked through, add onions, garlic, salt & pepper and 1 jar of tomato sauce, then stir to combine.

  • Spray slow cooker with cooking spray, then layer in a bit of meat sauce. Add the uncooked lasagna noodles (you may need to break some into pieces to make them fit), then add some ricotta and mozzarella cheese, and more of the meat sauce. Repeat until the slow cooker is full – usually 3 layers total.

  • Pour the other jar of tomato sauce overtop of lasagna, then add mozzarella cheese to the top. Pour water in on the sides. Cook on high for 3 hours, or on low for 6 hours.

  • Garnish lasagna with basil and/or parsley, then serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Add in more fillings like spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, kale, broccoli or cauliflower.

Serve your lasagna with a side salad and some warm garlic bread.

Assemble your lasagna ahead of time then store it in the fridge. When you’re ready to cook, pull it out of the fridge, set it and forget it!

Store the leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes or in the oven for 20 minutes at 350 F.

Freeze this recipe for up to 3 months cooked or uncooked. Reheat or cook from frozen.

Nutrition

Calories: 470kcal (24%)Carbohydrates: 46g (15%)Protein: 32g (64%)Fat: 17g (26%)Saturated Fat: 10g (63%)Cholesterol: 84mg (28%)Sodium: 264mg (11%)Potassium: 420mg (12%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 426IU (9%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 272mg (27%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

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Created by Taylor Stinson

Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I also run the awesome 5-Day Meal Prep Challenge, which is a free email course and Facebook group where I share my meal planning strategies and easy meal prep tips and recipes. Be sure to check out my free beginner’s guide to meal prep and follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get my latest recipes and meal prep tips!

Reader Interactions

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Courtney Woodward says

    I’m excited to try this! If making the day before, do you add the water before refrigerating or right before cooking?

    Reply

    • Taylor Stinson says

      You can do either, it shouldn’t make a difference. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply

  2. Mike says

    Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe - The Girl on Bloor (12)
    This was so good and so easy another batch coming in the near future! I used rigatoni as that’s what I had on hand, and it work perfectly.

    Reply

    • Taylor Stinson says

      I’m glad it works with other types of pastas!

      Reply

  3. Crimson Hartley says

    On step 7 it says to add water on the side,how much water? And do you cook noodles before you do the assembly?

    Reply

    • Taylor Stinson says

      It’s in the recipe card. 1/2 cup water, uncooked noodles.

      Reply

      • Tracy says

        I used rotini noodles instead. The noodles seem pretty hard although it’s only been in 1.5 hrs. What would you suggest to assist with softening without ruining the dish?

        Reply

        • Taylor Stinson says

          I have never used rotini noodles in this dish so I’m not entirely sure if they will work but I do think with a bit more cooking time (the whole 3 hours), it will be fine.

          Reply

  4. Liz says

    Do you cook pasta or put in uncooked??

    Reply

    • Taylor Stinson says

      Uncooked

      Reply

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Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe - The Girl on Bloor (2024)

FAQs

Easiest Ever Crockpot Lasagna Recipe - The Girl on Bloor? ›

Too much between one layer and another will keep you from ever getting a perfect slice. Too little and all you'll taste is pasta. Do not put large pieces of vegetables or meat in lasagna for the same reason as above. To get a perfect lasagna, the filling should be finely sliced or even creamy.

What not to do when making lasagna? ›

Too much between one layer and another will keep you from ever getting a perfect slice. Too little and all you'll taste is pasta. Do not put large pieces of vegetables or meat in lasagna for the same reason as above. To get a perfect lasagna, the filling should be finely sliced or even creamy.

How do I make sure my lasagna is not runny? ›

When you place each layer in the baking dish, be certain the moisture is at a minimum. Use low moisture mozzarella cheese to keep the melted cheese gooey, but not runny. Make sure to completely drain the pasta…. even patting the pieces dry.

How do you make lasagna so it doesn't fall apart? ›

If your lasagna is falling apart it could be because, it is to hot. Let it sit about 5 mins after you pull it out of the oven. Also your sauce could be to thin, if your sauce is watery it will cause your lasagna to not cut properly. Thicken it up by letting it reduce, adding less water or adding a bit of tomato paste.

What goes down first when making lasagna? ›

Start by spreading a layer of your tomato-based sauce (either a plain tomato sauce or your pre-made ragù) on the bottom of your dish. Next, add a single layer of pasta sheets. Then, add a layer of white sauce, followed by another single layer of pasta sheets.

What makes lasagna taste better? ›

Five Secrets of Building the Ultimate Lasagna
  1. Secret #1: No-Boil Noodles Actually Taste Better. ...
  2. Secret #2: For a Rich Sauce, Use Pork Sausage Instead of Ground Beef. ...
  3. Secret #3: Fresh Mozzarella Actually Makes a Difference.
Jan 6, 2015

Why do you put milk in lasagna? ›

Milk. It tenderises the meat, to leave you with the most tender ragù.

Should lasagna sauce be thick or runny? ›

So, to achieve the perfect lasagna, the consistency of the sauce is absolutely essential. Both the ragù and béchamel sauce should be dense and creamy. Avoid sauces that are too liquid and slide to the bottom of the dish. A thicker consistency of the sauce will allow the pasta to be flavoured in the best possible way.

Is ricotta cheese or cottage cheese better in lasagna? ›

If you want a lasagna that's rich, creamy and decadent, turn to whole milk ricotta. It delivers on richness and creaminess! Be sure to season the cheese well with salt, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper and dried herbs. Plain ricotta can be, well, very plain and mild.

What happens if you don't let lasagna rest? ›

When the lasagna is ready it is difficult to resist the temptation to immediately eat it, but be careful because even in this case you have to be a little patient. Wait for your lasagna to rest for about 20 minutes once it is baked, in this way it will not fall apart when cut.

How many layers should a lasagna have? ›

Betony Kitchen says you could make lasagna with as little as two layers for a quick lasagna that doesn't take long to bake. Many, however, would consider this skimping. Most recipes you'll find for lasagna call for a minimum of three layers, which seems to be the universal standard.

Is lasagna better made the day before? ›

If you make your lasagna the day before, it will probably taste better! Letting the dish set for a day let's the flavors meld. Just make sure that when you do make it, you don't overcook it is — that will make the pasta soggy; remember, you will need to reheat it when you are ready to serve.

What is the lasagna noodle trick? ›

Place your dry noodles in the water, making sure they're all equally submerged, and let them soak for about 20 minutes. Let this go while making your sauce or preheating the oven, and it shaves off all the extra time you'd spend boiling them.

Does meat sauce go on the bottom of lasagna? ›

You want sauce on both side of the pasta sheets to rehydrate them properly and stop them sticking to the bottom of the dish. The bottom layer is pasta noodles. However there should be a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking but not meat. You put a thin layer of sauce then noodles.

Should the top layer of lasagna be noodles or sauce? ›

There's a lot of discussion around this topic in the lasagna recipe world, but generally most lasagna recipes start with a layer of red sauce, followed by a layer of white sauce, followed by a layer of pasta and cheese. Then you continue with this layering until you have completely filled your tray.

Should you criss cross lasagna noodles? ›

(Do notice that I put the noodles criss cross – perpendicular from the layer below – it helps it to hold together when you serve it). So, the noodles directly on the cheese means there won't be enough for a top layer of noodles.

Should you bake lasagna covered or not? ›

If uncovered, the prolonged exposure to heat will quickly dry out your lasagna, no matter how much sauce you've added. Make sure to always add a layer of tin foil over your baking dish, which will trap the moisture inside while still allowing the dish to cook properly.

Why should you not cover lasagna in a metal pan with foil? ›

So when you see holes in the foil covering a pan of tomato sauce, you are looking at areas where the pan has stolen electrons from the foil, converting the aluminum atoms into a substance that can dissolve in the sauce. The tomato sauce is serving as the getaway car in an electron heist masterminded by the steel pan.

Should you cover lasagna when baking? ›

Cover the lasagna with foil and place in the oven. Cook the lasagna for about 20 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees (remove the foil if you wish to brown the top) Meanwhile, heat the meat or marinara sauce in a small pan on the stovetop until 165 degrees.

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