• Home
  • Email List
  • Cookbooks
  • FAQs
  • Instant Pot Secrets
  • Sponsor Me

365 Days of Slow Cooking and Pressure Cooking

Easy slow cooker and Instant Pot recipes for each day of the year

  • Filter Recipes
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Meatless
  • healthy
  • Soups

September 18, 2013

Recipe for Easiest Ever Slow Cooker Lasagna

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

*This is a recipe update from Day 7 of my blog way back in February of 2009!  It didn’t even have a picture.  This is a great beginner slow cooker recipe!  Enjoy the updated recipe and photos.
This is a very easy version of a family-friendly lasagna.  By using spaghetti sauce the need for extra spices is eliminated.  Also, adding all the ingredients (except noodles) to one big skillet there is less mess and less prep time.  If I were to make this again I would definitely use Italian sausage instead of the ground beef.  It would give it a flavor boost, for sure.  This is one of those recipes you can add whatever you want to as well.  Add in spinach, mushrooms, peppers, or whatever else you like.  Use whole wheat noodles for best results (I find mine at Walmart or Smiths).

Crock pot easy lasagna recipe #easydinner #crockpotmeal #slowcooker

Easiest Ever Slow Cooker Lasagna


Makes 8 servings
Ideal slow cooker size:  6 quart
Cooking time:  3-5 hours on low


1 lb ground beef, browned and drained of grease (or ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground Italian sausage)
1 (26 oz) can spaghetti sauce
1 (14 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt
2 cups cottage cheese or ricotta cheese
1 egg
9 whole wheat lasagna noodles (the whole wheat noodles hold up better in the slow cooker than white noodles)
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese, divided

1.  Brown the ground beef in a large skillet.  Drain beef of grease.
2.  Add spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, salt, cottage cheese and egg.*  Stir a bit.  Add in 1/2 cup of mozzarella and 1/2 cup of Parmesan.
3.  Add 1/2 cup of the meat sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker.  Top with 3 lasagna noodles.  Break the noodles in half to fit, if you need to.
4.  Top with another 1/2 cup of sauce.  Layer 3 more noodles.  Top with 1/2 cup of sauce.  Layer the last of the noodle.  Top with the rest of the sauce.
5.  Sprinkle with the cheeses (should be 1 cup of each left)
6.  Cover and cook on LOW for 3-5 hours.

*Add in extra veggies if you desire. Some ideas are mushrooms, peppers, spinach, zucchini, etc.

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

11 Comments Filed Under: All Recipes, Beef, Pasta, Slow Cooker Tagged With: 2-4 hours, crock pot recipes, slow cooker recipes, 3 stars, All Posts

Recommendations

Comments

  1. Sharon says

    November 23, 2019 at 6:28 pm

    I used Italian sausage and didn’t add the salt. Instead used 1/2 tsp. basil and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder. Added 4 sliced mini sweet peppers and fresh spinach in the layers. Will add mushrooms next time. It was totally cooked at 3 hours. One important step that is not mentioned in this recipe is that it must sit for about 15 minutes before serving to firm up. Otherwise, it will be runny.

    Reply
    • Karen says

      November 23, 2019 at 9:29 pm

      cool thanks for sharing! Good tip!

      Reply
  2. Deb says

    September 1, 2016 at 6:07 pm

    I tried this recipe, being skeptical the entire time & was greatly surprised at how great it turned out! It was delicious, perfectly cooked & disappeared very quickly. It was so easy to make & clean up after, which is always a plus. I highly recommend everyone that luvs lasagna to try this recipe! Next time I make it I’m going to add squash & zucchini just as an added plus. Thank you for the recipe, it was fabulous!

    Reply
    • Karen says

      September 2, 2016 at 7:23 pm

      you’re so welcome Deb! Thanks so much for the nice note. 🙂

      Reply
  3. Lynn says

    July 23, 2016 at 12:19 pm

    Need to make a dish for a church ladies meeting, one of the ladies is a vegan and also had celiac’s. So I was thinking of using this with more veggies, no meat and gluten free noodles. Has anyone cooked with them, will they work with this?

    Reply
    • Karen says

      July 25, 2016 at 11:28 am

      I’d be really nervous to try it. Gluten free lasagna noodles sound a little sketchy to me. Maybe try it out before the event just to be sure it works!

      Reply
  4. Kristina says

    March 14, 2014 at 6:15 pm

    This is the BEST lasagna I've ever tasted. Use the wheat noodles. One of my g/fs told me she made them according to the package directions before layering them in the crockpot! No, don't! Just break them apart DRY and layer them. Trust me, this is one I'm passing along to whoever loves lasagna. TOP TEN in my house. Thank you Karen! I adore your site.

    Reply
    • [email protected] says

      March 14, 2014 at 8:10 pm

      Yes, dry noodles! No need to cook before hand! Thanks so much for the nice comment. It's going in my "favorite comments of all time" file!

      Reply
    • Pamela Knott says

      October 29, 2014 at 4:05 pm

      You just answered all my questions! Thank you! I'm making it tonight!

      Reply
  5. Marla B says

    March 25, 2009 at 3:13 am

    We liked this. My husband wanted some more cheddar cheese with the mozarella cheese. I didn’t experience soggy noodles.

    Reply
  6. Brittney Josoff says

    February 10, 2009 at 4:24 am

    So I tried this dish today and I have to say I am not a fan. I thought the noodles were way to soggy. They just ended up being a bunch of goo. I did enjoy trying it though! Thanks!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome!

Karen photo

Hi, I’m Karen. I know that dinner time can be less than relaxing. Busy schedules and cranky kids and a hundred other things can lead to weariness when it comes to putting dinner on the table. I can help! I make homemade, family-friendly slow cooker and Instant Pot dinners and share the recipes with you.

Stay In Touch

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Amazon Associates Disclosure

Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

365 Days of Slow Cooking © 2023 · Privacy Policy

MENU
  • Home
  • Filter
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Meatless
  • Healthy
  • Soups
  • Email List
  • Cookbooks
  • FAQs
  • Instant Pot Secrets