Name: THE BEST CROCK POT LASAGNA
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 375 min
Total time: 385 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef; 1 small onion, (finely diced); 1 tbsp garlic, (minced); 1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce; 1 cup water; 1 (15 oz) container small curd cottage cheese ((or ricotta cheese)); 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, (divided use); 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, (divided use); 1 egg; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, (chopped (optional)); 4-6 lasagna noodles, (uncooked)

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Crock Pot Lasagna means no need for an oven! Lasagna noodles, meat sauce and cheese made all in one pot. Easy and delicious!

THE BEST CROCK POT LASAGNA

I'm always looking for new ways to use my Crock Pot (a.k.a. slow cooker.) It really is one of the most used items in my kitchen. Even with the invention of electric pressure cookers and air fryers. I use those too but slow cookers are so inexpensive and most people own one. I find myself going back to my slow cooker time and time again.

VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW:

CAN I SUBSTITUTE COTTAGE CHEESE FOR RICOTTA?

Yes, of course. However, there is a reason I use cottage cheese in this recipe. It's to keep it all from drying out. Ricotta is a drier, crumbly cheese. It can dry out pretty quickly in this recipe if it's cooked too long. So, I use cottage cheese to keep it all nice and luscious! Be sure to check out my CROCK POT CHICKEN ALFREDO LASAGNA - I use ricotta in that one! 🙂

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

ground beef

onion

garlic

spaghetti sauce

water

small curd cottage cheese

mozzarella cheese, divided use

parmesan cheese

egg

parsley (optional)

lasagna noodles

HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT LASAGNA:

Brown and crumble ground beef in a large skillet. You need a larger skillet for this because you'll be adding the spaghetti sauce and water to it later. Then add in onion and garlic and cook for additional 1-2 minutes. I like to season my beef mixture with a little salt & pepper at this point too.

browning the ground beef in a large skillet

Drain excess grease from beef. And put back into skillet.

Pour in spaghetti sauce and water.

spaghetti sauce and water added to cooked ground beef in a large pan

Give it all a good stir (you can turn the heat off at this point.) Give it a taste test, add additional salt if necessary. In a separate bowl, mix together cottage cheese, 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, egg, pepper and chopped parsley. Put your remaining cheeses back in the fridge, you'll be using those as a topping later.

cottage cheese, Parmesan Cheese, egg, mozzarella cheese and parsley stirred together in a bowl

Spray crockpot with non-stick cooking spray. Scoop approximately 1 cup of meat sauce into bottom of slow cooker.

spaghetti sauce layered in bottom of 6-quart oval slow cooker

Top with one layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. Just do your best to break them up to fit into your crock pot.

lasagna noodles layered in a slow cooker

Next top with a layer of cheese mixture.

mozzarella cheese mixture layered on top of lasagna noodles

Keep adding layers, ending with meat sauce. I was able to get 3 layers in my 5-quart slow cooker.

Put the lid on and cook on low for 4-6 hours. You want most of the liquid to be absorbed and noodles should be soft.

fully cooked lasagna in 5-quart oval slow cooker

When it is finished cooking, add remaining cheeses and sprinkle with a bit of parsley.

final topping of shredded mozzarella cheese and parsley added on top of lasagna

Put the lid back on for about 10-15 more minutes until cheese is melted.

Crock Pot Lasagna pictured in the slow cooker

Slice and serve it up with a salad and some garlic bread.

slice of slow cooker lasagna on a plate with a fork and slices of garlic bread

Enjoy!

Originally published: February 2012
Updated & republished: August 2020

Edited to add: The original post had a giveaway. That giveaway has ended.

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slice of crock pot lasagna on a white plate with slices of garlic bread in the background

THE BEST CROCK POT LASAGNA

Crock Pot Lasagna means no need for an oven! Lasagna noodles, meat sauce and cheese made all in one pot. Easy and delicious!

5 from 39 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Crock Pot Lasagna

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours 15 minutes

Total Time: 6 hours 25 minutes

Servings:

Calories: 498kcal

Author: Brandie @ The Country Cook

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, finely diced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 (15 oz) container small curd cottage cheese (or ricotta cheese)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use
½ cup grated parmesan cheese, divided use
1 egg
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
4-6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Instructions

Brown and crumble ground beef in a large skillet (or if your crock pot has a saute setting, use that.)
Then add in onion and garlic and cook for additional 1-2 minutes.
Drain excess grease from beef and put back into skillet. Pour in spaghetti sauce and water. Give it all a good stir.
In a separate bowl, mix together cottage cheese, 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese, 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, egg, pepper and chopped parsley. (Put your remaining cheeses back in the fridge, you'll be using those as a topping later)
Spray crock pot with no-stick cooking spray. Scoop approximately 1 cup of meat sauce into bottom of slow cooker.
Top with one layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. Just do your best to break them up to fit into your crock pot.
Next top with a layer of cheese mixture.
Keep adding layers, ending with meat sauce. I was able to get 3 layers in my 5-quart slow cooker.
Put the lid on and cook on low for 4-6 hours. You want most of the liquid to be absorbed and noodles should be soft.
When it is finished cooking, add remaining cheeses and sprinkle with parsley.
Put the lid back on for about 10-15 more minutes until cheese is melted.

Video

Notes

Slice and serve it up with a salad and some garlic bread.

Nutrition

Nutritional Disclaimer

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Rustown Mom

8 years ago

This looks great, especially for summer when I don't want the oven on in Central Texas! How ironic that i dropped my glass crock pot lid in the driveway yesterday coming home from a luncheon at work...oh, well....I am printing this one up for the future (:

Raychel Hunter

Reply to Rustown Mom

7 years ago

I broke my crock pot lid a while ago.. A couple layers of heavy duty foil work JUST FINE until I get a new one. 🙂

Theresa Oaks

I have done the same thing! Foil works very well until you can get another lid.

Fotf

Wow - I did not think this would work but it totally does. And the cottage cheese is a necessity. It doesn't dry out like ricotta does while cooking slowly. I didn't change a thing - this recipe is perfect!

Suzi

I have always wanted to try making lasagne in the slow cooker but never have. This looks really wonderful. Gotta give it a try. Thanks for posting this.

Steve

Reply to Suzi

2 years ago

Have made a similar lasagna in the crock pot however this one is very good. Excellent is a better way to put it. Steve

Rita Taylor

I have looked at many crock pot /slow cooker recipes...yours was the only one I saw that told me to use a 5 qt cooker. Many thanks

Kristina

This looks delicious 🙂 Lasagna is my absolute favorite meal. It was my birthday dinner every year as a kid! I've never made it in a crock pot though! Looks like a great recipe!

Michelle

Want to try the Chicken Fried Steak!

Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche

I'm following Jenna on Pinterest too!

Wendy

I follow Jenna on pinterest!

JODI

I am following Jenna on Pinterest!

I want to make her pull-apart pumpkin cinnamon bread...yum!

Martha

I liked Jenna on Facebook! Love her recipes!

Following Jenna on Pînterest!

Tiffany

Following Jenna on Pinterest!
tmayberry03@gmail.com

Kiri W.

Mmm, looks delicious 🙂 I love how versatile crock pots are turning out to be!

Eliotseats

I definitely don't use my CP enough!

Linda A. Thompson Ditch

Oh I have to try this! It looks so much easier than my homemade recipe. And I could use this basic recipe to adapt my recipe to my slow cooker. Thanks for the inspiration!

elizabeth

I love anything pumpkin, and she shares that love! 🙂 I never thought this lasagna would REALLY turn out for me in the CP - okay, I will try!! 🙂

Thank you!

I follow the Newlyweds on Face Book!

I now follow on Pinterest too!
Thank you!

Annie Oakley's Kitchen

I've never made a pasta dish in the slow cooker (honestly didn't know you could!) This opens up a whole new world to me!

Anonymous

This really sounds easy, I use the crockpot a lot as I cannot cook on the stove being an oxygen user and it is not really safe, I will try this and I so it will be as wonderful as it sounds. Thanks.

Tex Debl

I liked her on Facebook and followed her on Pinterest (that place is addictive!). The salsa recipe looks perfect. I also checked out the caramel coconut pie (it looks and sounds like the girl scout cookies with coconut/chocolate and caramel). Entering to win but I'm definitely checking out her recipes also!

Sheila Shook

Ihave Likeed Newlyweds Blog on Facebook

There are so many recipes I plan on fixing but I think this wil be the first one - Sticky Chicken in Crock Pot

Deborah Dowd

This looks so delicious and easy! I love my crockpot and this looks like a great way to do lasagna in the heat of summer!

Krissy

I like the Newlyweds Blog on facebook.
Krissy
kbmint@otelco.net