Italian-American
Slow Cooker Lasagna
Ground beef is browned until it is cooked through, then layered with no-boil noodles, ricotta, and mozzarella. The slow cooker finishes the noodles until they are tender.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 4 hr
- Total
- 4 hr 30 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- Browning the beef first locks in a cooked-through meat sauce.
- No-boil noodles soften in the sauce without a pasta pot.
- The slow cooker keeps the edges from drying the way a long oven bake can.
- It slices cleaner after a short rest.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Thaw the ground beef completely in the refrigerator if it was frozen. Do not put frozen meat in the slow cooker.
- 2
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add the beef and onion and cook, breaking the meat up, until no pink remains. Check the center of the largest crumble. The beef must read 160°F and be cooked through. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper for 30 seconds. Drain extra fat if the pan is greasy.
- 3
Stir the marinara into the beef. If you are using regular lasagna noodles instead of no-boil noodles, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes until they are pliable, then drain.
- 4
Mix the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, and Italian seasoning in a bowl.
- 5
Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce in the slow cooker. Add a layer of noodles, breaking pieces to fit without a huge overlap. Dollop on a third of the ricotta mixture, a handful of mozzarella, and more sauce. Repeat the layers, ending with sauce and the remaining mozzarella.
- 6
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours. The lasagna is done when the noodles are tender in the center, the cheese is melted, and the meat sauce is still cooked through. Rest 15 minutes with the lid off before scooping.
Pro tips
- Break noodles so they do not stack three thick in one spot. Thick stacks stay hard.
- Do not lift the lid in the first 3 hours. Each peek drops the temperature.
- A 6-quart oval cooker fits the layers best. A small round cooker needs more broken noodles.
Easy substitutions
- Ground beef
- Ground turkey. Cook it to 160°F and cooked through the same way.
- Ricotta
- Small-curd cottage cheese, drained.
- No-boil noodles
- Regular lasagna noodles soaked in hot water for 20 minutes.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 4 days, or freeze slices for up to 2 months.
Reheating
Warm covered in a 350°F oven until the center is hot, about 20 minutes, or microwave a slice until it is steaming.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 410
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Moderate · Slow Cooker, Stovetop
You might also like
Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
Beef chuck, bacon, red wine, and vegetables cook low and slow until the meat is fork-tender. Browning the beef first gives the stew a deeper base.
8 hr 30 min · Medium
View recipe
Slow Cooker Beef Chili
Ground beef, beans, and tomato cook into a thick chili with a measured spoon of chili powder. You brown the beef first so the pot does not taste steamy and gray.
6 hr 15 min · Easy
View recipe
Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo
Chicken thighs simmer with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and black pepper until they hit 165°F. The sauce reduces on the stove at the end so it clings to the meat.
5 hr 15 min · Easy
View recipe
Slow Cooker Pot Roast
A chuck roast, potatoes, and carrots cook until the beef pulls apart. You sear the roast first, then leave the lid on for the long cook.
8 hr 20 min · Medium
View recipeStill hungry?
More in the same lane, not a random mix.
Slow Cooker Swedish Meatballs
Beef and pork meatballs simmer in a peppery beef gravy until the centers reach 160°F. Sour cream stirred in at the end makes the sauce smooth.
3 hr 25 min · Medium
View recipe
Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs in Tomato Sauce
Lean turkey meatballs simmer gently in a simple tomato sauce until cooked through and tender. Pair with spaghetti, zucchini noodles, or crusty bread.
5 hr 25 min · Medium
View recipe
Slow Cooker Apple Cider Pork Shoulder
Pork shoulder braises in apple cider, onion, and mustard until shreddable. The sweet-savory juices make a simple pan sauce for mashed potatoes or rolls.
8 hr 15 min · Easy
View recipe
Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken
Chicken thighs cook in a ketchup barbecue sauce you mix yourself, then shred into the sauce. There is no bottle of sauce required, and the lid stays on until the chicken hits 165°F.
5 hr 10 min · Easy
View recipeFind something else
From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
Read the affiliate disclosure.