Crockpot lasagna recipe is one of the most satisfying and delicious recipes in my arsenal. I love all the cheesy goodness layered between sauce and noodles. This slow cooking crockpot recipe infuses all the complex savory flavors deep into one of the tastiest and easiest lasagna recipes of all time!
Making this crock pot pasta means that the yummy aroma of this lasagna will slowly fill every nook and cranny in the kitchen as it permeates the house and draws hungry tummies into the kitchen. Yeah – it’s that good! Add this recipe, lasagna casserole, chicken lasagna, and taco lasagna to your favorite pasta recipes!
C’mon, let me show you how easy to make crockpot lasagna recipe!
What I Love About Crockpot Lasagna Recipe
I love that this crockpot lasagna recipe is so ridiculously easy to make! Making lasagna is usually such a Herculean task but not with this recipe. I know I can throw it together in just over half an hour and walk away.
At the end of the day, I’ll have a wholesome nutritious meal that will make the family giddy with excitement and my kitchen will smell amazing! Here are some other delightful reasons to love this crockpot lasagna.
- Ridiculously simple to make
- Hearty and satisfying
- Amazingly delicious
- Wholesome and nutritious
- Flexible recipe
- Feeds a crowd
Recipe Notes
Making this scrumptious crockpot lasagna recipe is so easy and I enjoy assembling it because it doesn’t need to be perfect. That’s one of the best things about this recipe! The crockpot will infuse all the savory cheesy goodness and perfect the recipe all by itself. -My trustee sidekick!
Speaking of crockpots, I use my large oval crockpot for this recipe. If you don’t have one, that’s okay. You can make delicious crockpot lasagna recipe in any crockpot as long as it is large enough to accommodate all the ingredients. It should also have a low and a high setting because you’ll need to cook this lasagna on low for a few hours.
Once the lasagna has finished cooking, you’ll want to turn the crockpot off and let it cool for thirty minutes before serving. This is an important step so don’t skip it. I know it will be difficult when you are immersed in those wonderfully delicious aromas and growling tummies, but it really makes a big difference.
Letting the lasagna sit without cooking allows time for the sauce to thicken while the meat and noodles soak up all the savory flavors and juices. -Trust me on this one! Besides, it’s the perfect time to prepare salads and bake garlic bread.
Ingredient Notes
- Sauce: Keeping this recipe super simple boils down to using a store-bought pasta sauce. Of course, you can spend the day making your own pasta sauce but that kind of defeats the purpose! Bertolli Tomato and Basil sauce is my favorite jarred sauce.
- The thing is that you want to find a sauce that you really like straight out of the jar. If you don’t care for the way it tastes in the jar, then you won’t love it in the crockpot lasagna.
- Pasta: Another convenient quality about this recipe is that it calls for no-cook noodles which saves time and messy clean-up. Simply choose your preferred brand of noodles and they go straight into the crockpot. Using my oval crockpot, I lay out the first noodles lengthwise and then break some up to fill in the gaps around the edges. Easy peesy!
- Basil: It is also important to use fresh basil in this recipe. If you’re in a pinch, you can use dried basil, but I don’t recommend it because it will compromise the flavor of the finished product. This crockpot lasagna recipe calls for a generous amount of fresh basil.
- Fresh herbs perform fabulous in sauces, but they do have a delicate flavor so more of them are required. This recipe is worth the additional basil though because it does most of the work!
- Meat: This recipe uses sausage instead of just ground beef—and believe me, you can taste how much better sausage is for this dish. Ground beef just doesn’t have enough of its own flavor to compete with the flavorful sauce and filling.
Storing Tips
Storing this crockpot lasagna is simple! Depending on how much you have left, you could toss the entire crockpot into the fridge lid and all. Using the lid is important because you have to protect your leftovers from the air.
Of course, you can store your crockpot lasagna in an airtight container with a secure lid. Tupperware is a great option. Divvy it up into single-serve portions for weekday lunches or store it in larger portions for a ready-made dinner later in the week.
Can You Freeze This?
Oh yes, you can freeze your crockpot lasagna. Just ensure that it is sealed in plastic wrap to protect it from air and freezer burn. If I know it’s going to be in the freezer for a bit, then I’ll vacuum seal mine.
You can freeze the entire thing for a dinner that is ready to go when you are or make single-serve lasagnas for lunches and snacks. It is so convenient to just pull a piece or two out of the freezer and make a piece of garlic toast. You’ve got a wholesome nutritious ready-made meal that tastes fantastic!
Lasagna Sauce Make Ahead Tips
Making the lasagna sauce ahead of time is a common practice and it only makes your crockpot lasagna that much better. Letting the savory meat sit in that sauce for a day gives all the exquisite flavors time to mingle and blend.
If you’ll be making your crockpot lasagna in the next day or so, you can cook the meat sauce and store it in the fridge overnight. If you are looking out a little further ahead, then you’ll want to store it in the freezer. When you get ready to make your lasagna, just pull out your sauce and slow thaw it in the fridge overnight.
How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?
If you store your crockpot lasagna properly, then it will keep for 3 or 4 days, according to the USDA. Leftovers should be kept at or below 40-degrees Fahrenheit and securely protected from air. It’s also a good idea to observe the 2-hour rule for serving at get-togethers and potlucks. Here is a good article on storing food safely from the USDA.
More Crock Pot Pasta Recipes
Crockpot lasagna recipe is everything you want in a hearty dinner. It’s easy to make, wholesome and nutritious. The best part is that it is convenient and there is virtually no cleanup!
I absolutely love savory crockpot meals. They allow you to feed your family the most delectable mouthwatering dinners and still accomplish everything you need to in a day.
Plus, there are so many scrumptious recipes you’re never eating the same thing! Here are some of my favorite crockpot pasta recipes.
- Crockpot Goulash
- Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta
- Crock Pot Spaghetti
- Super Creamy Crockpot Mac and Cheese
Crockpot Lasagna
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage casing removed
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 4-6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 (24-ounce) jar marinara sauce
- 16 ounces no-boil noodles uncooked
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 32 ounces ricotta cheese
- 2 cups grated parmesan cheese divided
- 4 cups (1 lb) mozzarella shredded and divided
- 1 cup fresh basil chopped
- salt
- black pepper
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Â Spray a 6 quart Crock-Pot with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Cook the sausage in a large skillet, over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon, until sausage is cooked through. Remove cooked sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Remove all but 2 Tablespoons of the fat from the sausage and discard. Over medium heat, add onion and chopped garlic to the remaining fat in the skillet. Cook until veggies are softened, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cooked sausage. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, mix together ricotta, 1 cup of Parmesan, 2 cups mozzarella, fresh basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper,  and egg.
- Spread 1 cup of prepared marinara sauce in the bottom of the crockpot. Layer 4 uncooked pasta noodles, breaking them up as needed to fit, evenly over bottom of the crockpot on top of the sauce. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the sausage and onion mixture, 1 cup of sauce. Repeat layers 2 more times.
- For the final top layer, arrange 4 more noodles, 1 cup of sauce and the remaining 1 cup Parmesan and 2 cups mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook until on low until lasagna is heated through, about 4 hours.
- Turn off heat and let the lasagna cool for 20-30 minutes and serve.
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Nutrition
Conclusion
If you love lasagna and the convenience of crockpot meals, then this crockpot lasagna is for you. It’s savory, saucy, cheesy and everything a good Italian dish should be, but you don’t have to dirty every pot in the kitchen.
Just toss everything in the crockpot, set the table and when the time is right to pull out the bibs! It doesn’t get much better than that!
Alice Rodriguez says
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Patt says
Yummmmmy!!!