This Slow Cooker Lasagna is easy to prepare and makes a delicious dinner—layers of pasta, cheese, and meat sauce create a comforting meal your family will love.
Crockpot lasagna is a much easier way to make this classic dish. The hearty meat sauce and pasta simmer in the slow cooker for an easy, hands-off dinner. There is no need to crank up the oven or fill the sink with pots and pans – all you need is a skillet for the sauce and your slow cooker to bring it all together.
Lasagna is a great way to feed a crowd, and it happens to be a favorite dinner at my house, but it’s not always the easiest of dishes to make. My slow cooker lasagna is everything you love about this classic pasta dish but made manageable.
In traditional versions, you need a pan to make the sauce, a pot to boil the pasta, and a baking dish to go in the oven. That is a lot of dishes! What I love about making it in the slow cooker is that you only need one pan to prep the sauce and the slow cooker does the rest of the work. Plus, unlike when I use the oven, I can leave it to cook. I’m not comfortable leaving the house with the oven on, but the slow cooker? No problem at all!
This is a hearty dinner with layers of pasta, cheese, and a delicious meat sauce made with ground beef and Italian sausage. I’ve made it for big family dinners and also for busy weeknights. It always gets rave reviews.
How to Make the Meat Sauce
You will need to make the easy meat sauce first, and once you do, it goes in the slow cooker, and the recipe is hands-off from there. Here are the ingredients you will need:
- Italian sausage
- Ground beef
- Diced red onion
- Diced red pepper
- Minced garlic
- Tomato paste
- Crushed tomatoes
- Italian seasoning
In a large pan, cook the beef and sausage together. Break them up as they cook and cook them until browned.
Add the onion, red pepper, and garlic. Stir and cook the vegetables with the meat until the onions are softened and translucent.
Add the tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and seasoning. Stir and bring the sauce to a boil and then remove it from the heat.
How to Layer the Ingredients
Once you have your meat sauce made all you have to do is layer the ingredients in your slow cooker. You will need:
- The sauce
- Uncooked noodles
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
Start by scooping two cups of the sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker.
Next, place uncooked noodles on top of the sauce.
Top the noodles with two more cups of sauce followed by shredded mozzarella cheese.
Repeat these layers two more times finishing with a layer of sauce on top. Hold off adding the last layer of cheese until the lasagna has finished cooking.
Cover the slow cooker and cook it on low for four to six hours. As it cooks, the pasta will absorb all of the delicious flavors in the sauce until it’s nice and tender.
When it’s done cooking, sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top and cover until the cheese has melted.
Ways to Change Up this Recipe
- We love the combination of ground beef and Italian sausage, but you can use all beef or all sausage if that’s your preference. You can also substitute the beef for ground turkey.
- I use skim milk mozzarella cheese, but you can use regular mozzarella cheese if you like. I don’t recommend using fresh mozzarella cheese because it could make your lasagna too watery, so be sure to use low-moisture mozzarella cheese.
- For a pop of freshness, garnish with chopped fresh parsley or thin-sliced basil. It’s always nice to serve some grated Parmesan cheese on the side, too.
Does Homemade Lasagna Keep Well?
Serve up slices of this hearty pasta goodness with a green salad on the side or add some oven-roasted asparagus. We also love some homemade breadsticks. So delicious. Enjoy! xoxo San
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Slow Cooker Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 purple onion diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 ounces canned tomato paste
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 9 lasagna sheets uncooked
- 2 cups skim mozzarella cheese shredded
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a skillet, cook sausage and beef over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Cook until fully cooked.
- Add in onion, red pepper, and garlic, season with salt and pepper to taste. Allow the vegetables to cook for 3-5 minutes until onion is soft and translucent.
- Stir in tomato paste, tomatoes, and Italian seasoning; bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
- Using a measuring cup add 2 cups meat mixture into bottom of slow cooker. Layer 3 lasagna noodles (uncooked), top with 2 cups of meat mixture and then 1/2 cup of cheese.
- Repeat noodles and meat for two more layers.
- Set slow cooker on low, cover and cook for 4-6 hours. Once done cooking, sprinkle lasagna with cheese, return the lid and cover until cheese has melted.
- As for dessert, Marie Callender’s takes special care to make each pie look and taste homemade. By using fresh ingredients like hand-picked blackberries and tried and true recipes, each pie will taste like you made it from scratch.
I have never had lasagna from a slow cooker before. I am intrigued 😉
That lasagna and chocolate pie look heavenly! You can’t go wrong with comfort food 🙂
Great post, and yes, this seems like a perfect holiday meal! Brava!
I really need to try to make lasagna in the slow cooker. On my To Do List for sure. And it’s a perfect time of year to rely on slow cooker recipes and yummy premade pie. Too many things going on to cook everything from scratch, right?
That looks delicious! I’m continually amazed at what can be made in a slow cooker.
This is a great stress free meal idea! The pie and lasagna look really good. I love Marie Callender’s pie.
The lasagna and the pie both look amazing. I’m like drooling over here 😉
I love the idea of slow cooker lasagna. Smelling it all day long and then getting to dig in, yum!
My friend and I were just talking about slow cooker lasagne a few days ago. I take this as a sign, I need to make this!!
That is the perfect meal to me! I love lasagna and I could eat that whole Marie Callender’s pie myself!
Well, you totally had me at lasagna and then throw in the slow cooker and I’m totally excited! I didn’t even realize I could make lasagna in the slow cooker! Thanks for the idea. Finish it off with Marie Callender’s! Perfection!
YUM! That slow cooker lasagna looks amazing! Can’t imagine how yummy it tastes paired with that chocolate pie!
That lasagna looks amazing! I’m bookmarking the recipe for future use.. I’m moving in with my partner in two weeks and we would both like to be a bit more adventurous in our cooking.
I love this! I’m all about slow cooker recipes, so I’m really excited to give this a try.
I always have problems with tough edges, cooking lasagna in the oven. I need to do it in a slow cooker like this!
I love using my slow cooker. This looks like a fantastic recipe to try. I love Marie Callenders desert pies.
I had no idea that Marie Callender’s used those types of ingredients. I just might have to put their pies into our dessert rotation!
Like, tomorrow. 😉
That lasagna sounds amazing. That pie? Oh my goodness, I totally want it, right NOW!
When we have family get togethers, everyone insists we have a pie. If I don’t have time to make one I always go to Marie Callender’s!
That Lasagna looks very Tasty. Ill have to check out myself.
We had a Marie Callenders Chocolate Satin Pie for Thanksgiving and it was delicious. I like letting it thaw pretty well before eating it but it’s very yummy!
*drool* that looks like a meal I would love including the dessert.
Oh man! That lasagna looks absolutely mouthwatering! I would love to take a bite into that! And that pie! I just love Marie Callender’s Pies!
Crock pot lasagna is one of my favorite easy meals. Pairing it with this amazing looking pie sounds fabulous.
I so need to try this lasagna recipe especially in my crock pot. That pie looks amazing.
I love slow cooker meals. This looks delicious. I could definitely see myself making it.
I wouldn’t mind having that chocolate pie right about now lol! It looks delicious!
The lasagna sounds tasty! I will have to try that recipe out!
I’ve actually never heard of a slow cooker lasagna before and would love to give it a try since I don’t particularly like making lasagna the traditional way.
Marie Callendar’s makes such a good pie. We had a pumpkin pie from her over the holidays and it was just delish.
This lasagna looks amazing. I am going to make that this evening and by the pie.
Mmm… this lasagna looks delicious, and so simple to make! I think I might actually try this today 🙂
That pie looks amazing. Silky smooth chocolate. I love their pies.
Okay. You had me at lasagna, then you had me at chocolate pie. Lol…
I will have to try that lasagna. Looks good and the Satin pie is hmmmm decadent.
That’s a very satisfying meal for both mthe eyes and the stomach. That pie looks so divine.
I crave lasagna every time I’ve seen these pictures this week. Love that it is in the crock pot!
I love this pie and the lasagna?! OH my. When asked what my favorite food is – my reply is always “pizza or lasagna” depends what type of food they are asking me about. I will have to try this crock pot lasagna, seriously soon and the pie? Will check my local freezer section when I go get groceries next!
Do you cook the noodles in advance? What size crock pot is this for?
Terri – don’t cook the noodles in advance. 🙂 Enjoy!
dont want to seem dense, but are the lasagna noodles cooked before using, or do they cook in the crock pot.
love crock pot cooking and was so happy to see the recipe.
I only have one problem. The recipe isn’t all together so can’t print without loads of stuff I don’t need. I hit the print icon and the pie stuff came up I don’t need pie I need other recipe. Thanks
Thanks for letting me know, I will check into that.
This Lasagna recipe looks & sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing 🙂 I’m wondering if you used regular lasagna noodles, or the no-boil type of noodle?
I haven’t tried that, if you do, I could cook them as you would normally, till al dente and then follow the recipe as is. I think I will try that next week. xo