This Slow Cooker Lazy Lasagna makes life easier. Ditch the stress and embrace the ease of slow cooker recipe. It’s a perfect solution for busy weeknights, relaxed weekend meals, or feeding a crowd. With minimal effort, you can create a dish that is sure to satisfy everyone at the table.
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Why this Easy Lazy Lasagna Recipe is a Keeper
Lasagna is a classic Italian dish that warms the soul and satisfies the whole family. But who has time for all that layering on a busy weeknight? Enter the slow cooker lasagna, your new best friend for effortless, cheesy deliciousness.
- Easy: Simply brown some meat (optional), whip up a quick sauce, and layer it all with noodles and cheese in your slow cooker. Dinner practically cooks itself while you go about your day.
- Simple Ingredients: Throw everything together in the morning and come home to a ready-made meal of lazy lasagna.
- Adaptable: Can make it low-carb, meat free, dairy free, etc…
- Makes Great Leftovers: This cheesy pasta is great for lunch the next day.
- Perfect for Parties: Planning a potluck? A slow cooker lazy lasagna can be transported easily and keeps warm for hours.
If you’re looking for more Lasagna recipes, try these Sausage Vegetable Lasagna with White Sauce , Pierogi Lasagna and Skillet Lasagna Recipe {30 Minutes}.
How to keep your Ground Beef and Cheese Casserole from becoming watery?
Moisture is the enemy here. Make sure to drain any excess liquid from your cooked ground beef (if using) and ricotta cheese. You can use cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer to squeeze out extra moisture from the ricotta.
Simple Ingredient Notes to Make Lazy Lasagna
- Lean ground beef: You want a nice high quality ground beef for the lazy lasagna.
- Pasta sauce: Use your favorite store bought recipe or make your own marinara sauce recipe.
- Shredded Cheese: Use your typical lasagna cheeses such as: shredded mozzarella, ricotta cheese and shredded parmesan cheese for this lazy lasagna.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions for this Easy Dinner Recipe
You can bake this in the oven or cook the lazy lasagna in the Instant Pot if you like for this quick and easy dinner.
- Add Veggies: Sneak in extra nutrients with chopped spinach, zucchini, or mushrooms.
- Spice it Up: Red pepper flakes or chili powder add a kick.
- Go Gourmet: Layer in pesto or crumbled goat cheese for a unique twist.
- Meat: Use shredded chicken, ground chicken, ground turkey or use ground sausage for this easy dish.
Special Equipment Needed for this Easy Lasagna
- Slower cooker: Include at least 1 full sentence why you need this.
Pro Tip
For easier cleaning, pour a mixture of water, baking soda, and dish soap into your slow cooker and let it simmer on low for a few hours. The loosened residue will wipe right out.
How to Make Lazy Man Lasagna
A hearty and comforting dish, perfect for feeding a crowd or enjoying a cozy night in. The convenience of a slow cooker means minimal prep work and hands-on time. It is an easy weeknight dinner perfect for a busy life.
These are the basic steps for making crockpot lazy lasagna. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions.
1. Brown Ground Beef in a Skillet
First, heat olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add garlic and ground beef, season with salt and pepper. Brown the ground beef until no longer pink.
2. Add the Sauce
Add pasta sauce to pan and simmer for five minutes.
3. Combine the Cheese and Seasoning
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of mozzarella cheese, ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, Italian seasoning, parsley, All Purpose Seasoning and mix well.
4. Prepare the Slow Cooker
Next, spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Spread a thin layer of the meat sauce mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker and top with one layer of lasagna noodles; You should be able to get 4 noodles broken in half across. Spread a layer of the cheese mixture across using a spatula or the back of a large spoon.
5. Layer the Sauce and Cheese
Add a layer of the sauce mixture and 9 pieces of pepperoni. Top with four more noodles. Repeat until you have four layers, ending with pepperoni on top.
6. Sprinkle with Remaining Mozzarella Cheese
Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours. After 4 hours, sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese on top. Leave uncovered and allow the cheese to melt. Once cheese has melted and is bubbly, turn off the slow cooker and allow the lasagna to set for about 10 minutes before serving.
Easy Casserole Recipe FAQs
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Of course, you can use frozen ravioli, such as cheese ravioli. Spaghetti or bow ties for this easy weeknight meal.
Overloading the layers is a common mistake. Not spraying your baking dish is another. Make sure your cheese is golden.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe for Lazy Lasagna
Here are some expert tips and ideas for this easy and delicious one pot meal.
- Don’t Peek: Resist the urge to lift the lid during cooking. This lets out heat and can extend the cooking time.
- Spice it Up: Add a kick of flavor with red pepper flakes or chili powder to your sauce. Veggie Boost: Sneak in extra nutrients with chopped spinach, zucchini, or mushrooms.
- Sauce: Use a different sauce such as alfredo or fra diavlo sauce.
- Spices: Add more oregano or make the lasagna without seasoning if that is an issue for guests. So your entire family will love.
More Weeknight Meal Ideas
- Slow Cooker Sloppy Steak
- Rich and Tender Slow Cooker Italian Beef
- Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast Sandwiches
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Slow Cooker Lazy Lasagna
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 Onion, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1.5 pounds Ground beef
- ¼ teaspoon Salt and pepper
- 27 ounces Pasta sauce, 2 jars
- 4 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
- 15 ounces Ricotta cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Parsley
- 16 Lasagna noodles, uncooked and broken in half length-wise
- 36 slices Pepperoni
- Nonstick cooking spay
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet until shimmering.
- Add onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and ground beef, season with salt and pepper.
- Brown the ground beef until no longer pink.
- Add pasta sauce to pan and simmer for five minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of mozzarella cheese, ricotta, Parmesan, eggs, Italian seasoning, parsley, salt and pepper (to taste) and mix well.
- Spray the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Spread a thin layer of the sauce mixture in the bottom of the slow cooker and top with one layer of lasagna noodles; You should be able to get 4 noodles broken in half across.
- Spread a layer of the cheese mixture across using a spatula or the back of a large spoon.
- Add a layer of the sauce mixture and 9 pieces of pepperoni.
- Top with four more noodles.
- Repeat until you have four layers, ending with pepperoni on top.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours.
- After 4 hours, sprinkle remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese on top.
- Leave uncovered and allow the cheese to melt.
- Once cheese has melted, turn off the slow cooker and allow the lasagna to set for about 10 minutes before serving.
Christina’s Notes
- Don’t Peek: Resist the urge to lift the lid during cooking. This lets out heat and can extend the cooking time.
- Spice it Up: Add a kick of flavor with red pepper flakes or chili powder to your sauce. Veggie Boost: Sneak in extra nutrients with chopped spinach, zucchini, or mushrooms.
- Sauce: Use a different sauce such as alfredo or fra diavlo sauce.
- Spices: Add more oregano or make the lasagna without seasoning if that is an issue for guests. So your entire family will love.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
Recipe calls to cook on low for 4 hrs – but total time is 8hrs 20 minutes, including prep. Do I cook on low for 4 hours or 8?
4 hours…my apologies. I’ll fix it.
Just now trying this recipe … still confused it only cooks for 4 hours ? Should I cook noodles ahead of I do not have the oven ready ??
Thanks
Theere is no need to cook the pasta first. It will cook in the slow cooker and be great. Enjoy!
Do the noodles have to be uncooked to make this? The kind I have you need to cook before baking in the oven
I used the uncooked variety.
I’m wondering if the noodles are regular or fresh or the ready- no bake noodles?
TIA
This looks like my kind of dinner! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
You’re very welcome! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Hi Christina! I love making lasagna but you are so right, you need to the time to make it. I’ve never thought about making it in a slow cooker – so have to try this! Thank you so much for sharing at Best of the Weekend and pinning to our party board. Hope you have a happy week!
My oven’s not working ( we’re in the market for a new stove so not bothering to have it fixed ) so I asked my son to make me a lasagna last weekend – I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM TO FIND THIS RECIPE !!!!!!! ( Yes, I’m screaming with delight lol )
Pinning right away – and can’t thank you enough for sharing!!!!!
Hugs from Montreal
I hope you like it! 🙂
I always wanted to try this. Looks amazing thanks for sharing your lasagna with us on foodie friday.
This looks so Yummy! I love lasagna! I want it …like now:)
That looks wonderful – we love crockpot lasagna……and use the crockpot for SO much. Be careful of the fridge to crockpot idea – I have cracked 2 crockpots(not w/ the fridge idea, but w/ putting extra can of diced tomatoes in when food had already cooked for hours), which was so sad to me….they were from garage sales, thankfully………I use the crockpots (I used to have 3) very often and they save me so much time and work. Thank you for the recipe. Gentle Joy
I’ll definitely take note of that. Good point! 🙂
This looks AMAZING! Found your post on the Tutorial Tuesday link up! And anything in the crockpot is a winner in my book- especially lasagna! Thanks for sharing!
Alicia @ http://www.adventuresatnaptime.com
I love this lasagna from Rants from My Crazy Kitchen. Easy and super yummy! Thanks for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
Looks great Christina! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
It was really good, Bernadette! 🙂 Thanks for sharing it!
Sounds yummy and easy! I’m going to have to give this a try soon
Not sure about pre-filling and refrigerating the crock overnight though. Cooking times will definitely change because of the chilled crock and ingredients. I’d also be worried about cracks and crazing in a chilled crock that could damage it and cause leaks when heated in the cooking unit. I may just write the company and ask if that’s OK because preparing ahead would sure be nice.
Thanks, again Christina. Love this Site 🙂
It’s relatively easy and sounds great. My mom makes a killer lasagna, but I’ve managed to adopt my MIL’s lasagna over time. It’s not slow cooker lasagna, though…..