Crock Pot Lasagna Recipe

A no-fail Crock Pot Lasagna Recipe that is super easy because it uses no-cook dry lasagna noodles. You will find layers of tender noodles, a mixture of cheeses, and of course, a meaty red sauce flavored through and through with spices and fresh herbs. Slow cooking this Easy Lasagna for a good half a day makes for the ultimate comfort food satisfaction.

Main Ingredients for this Crock Pot Lasagna Recipe:

Meat Sauce

• Sweet Onion
• Garlic Cloves
• Hot Italian Sausage
• Crushed Tomatoes
• Onion Powder
• Garlic Powder
• Fresh Basil
• Fresh Oregano
• Brown Sugar
• Fennel Seeds

Lasagna

• Regular Lasagna Noodles, dry
• Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
• Parmesan Cheese, grated
• Ricotta Cheese

How to Make this Easy Lasagna

Step #1 – Sauté Onions

This culinary journey begins with onions and garlic to increase the flavorful depth of the delectable red sauce. Sauté the onion in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil which has been added to a heated pan (medium-high heat). Use a large heavy-bottomed pan like a Dutch Oven which distributes the heat evenly.

• Sautéing intensifies the onions’ natural sugars and releases a heavenly sweetness as the onions become softened. It takes anywhere from 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, to achieve this stage. 

Step #2 – Add the Garlic

Adding the garlic after the onions have softened is the best practice. If you throw them in at the beginning, they will cook too long and burn which will leave a bitter taste in the recipe. One minute really is all these amazing little gems need to cook. And oh the aroma that permeates your kitchen when they release their fragrance. 

Step #3 – Cook the Hot Italian Sausage 

You can use Sweet Italian Sausage, but I and my family prefer jazzing the sauce up with a tad bit of heat from Hot Italian Sausage. For this recipe, I used two pounds of sausage which made a nice ratio between it and the crushed tomatoes that come later. Add the sausage once the onions and garlic are finished cooking and cook until it becomes brown.

• Italian Sausage, in general, is known for the flavors of fennel and/or anise.  Also, spices have been added like cayenne pepper, smoked and hot paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Mmmmmm – I can already taste it on my tongue.

Step #4 – Drain the Meat

There’s a lot of greasy juice that is collected at the bottom of the pan while cooking the sausage. Once the meat is browned, use a large metal sieve to drain it into a bowl.

• I’m a little particular about too much grease which ultimately finds its way into the finished sauce. So, I use paper towels to dab up any additional grease on the meat. It just satisfies a little “greasy” pet peeve I have.

Step #5 – Making the Red Pasta Sauce

The homemade sauce, in my opinion, is the BEST component of this recipe. We’ve now come to the moment where all the magic collides to create a glorious red sauce that will ultimately encase the lasagna noodles. The abundance of spices, herbs, and a little bit of sweetness is what truly makes this sauce.

Fennel has an anise-like taste that is both light and sweet, similar to licorice. Onion and garlic powder, both contribute an additional dimension to the already sautéd onions and garlic. Fresh basil is the best complement to crushed tomatoes. And to me, it’s not Italian, unless it has oregano. I used fresh, but dried can work just as well. You just don’t want to use as much – a third as much to be exact. And the finishing touch for this red sauce is a sweet kiss from a little bit of brown sugar.

• I can usually find fresh basil in the packaged herb section of the produce department in my grocery store. If you are unable to find fresh, you can substitute one tablespoon of dried. 

• Usually, I want my “spaghetti” sauce to simmer for hours to let all the flavors meld together. And then if you wait until the next day to eat it, the richness of the flavors is increased even more. But because this sauce will “simmer” in the slow cooker for at least four hours on high, it will have the same desired results.

Step #6 – Combine all the Cheeses

Cheese, and lots of it, is what delivers on the “comfort” and “cozy” side of this dish.

Ricotta Cheese – My mom’s old recipe called for cottage cheese, which I am not a full-fledged fan of. I love cottage cheese, just not in my lasagna. It’s mostly used for those wanting to lower costs and reduce their fat and calorie intake. But listen, if I’m gonna go all out and eat lasagna, I’m not counting my calories or the cost. I’ll count them “tomorrow.”

• Ricotta cheese, which is more traditional in Southern Italy (bechamel is used in North Italy), is creamier, subtly sweeter and more flavorful than cottage cheese. Cottage cheese, in my opinion, has become an American substitute.

Parmesan Cheese – There are specific ingredients that constitute an Italian-type dish and one of those is definitely parmesan cheese. It has a hard, gritty texture while the taste is nutty and fruity which is a wonderful complement to the other cheeses in this recipe. Never buy pre-grated parmesan cheese. It’s always fresher and best when grated right before using it in a recipe.

I used to grate parmesan cheese down to the rind and throw the rind away because I thought there was no other use for it. But there are a plethora of ideas to use this part of the cheese. It’s an expensive cheese, so you want to make the most of it.

• Throw them into pots of soup, stews or tomato sauce to give additional flavor.  When done, pull out the rind and then you can throw it away.
• Use it as an infusion to olive oil.
• Throw it in when you are steaming artichokes.
• Put the rind in the pot when you are making risotto, then remove it before serving. 

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese – Using fresh mozzarella instead of shredded mozzarella adds a deeper, richer dairy flavor. It not only gives a nice texture to the dish but adds more taste. The “fresh” mozzarella tends to be a little more difficult to grate but I used the coarse side of a box grater and accomplished the task.

Step #7 – Layering the Lasagna – Bottom Layer

The very first layer that lines the bottom of the crockpot is two cups of sauce and then comes the “uncooked” noodles. Since we’re not using a rectangular baking dish, the noodles need to be broken a bit to fit.

The photo above shows probably five to six lasagna noodles per layer which when I made the recipe to take these photos was too many. The end result was somewhat dry because the noodles expanded and soaked up a lot of the sauce. So the second time around, I pulled back the number of noodles per layer to four or five. Therefore it made the ratio between noodles and sauce a perfect blending.

• When buying lasagna noodles for this recipe, don’t grab the pre-cooked ones. That’s the beauty of this recipe, there is no need to cook the noodles first. The regular, good-ol’ ones that your mama always cooked with, grab those. All that saucy goodness in the crockpot cooks the noodles to perfect tenderness over a four-hour period. It’s like magic.

Step #8 – Layering the Lasagna – Cheese, More Noodles, and Sauce

Once you get the noodles in place, dollop the cheese mixture on top of them. Use a lot of small dollops though because it doesn’t spread that easily. You have to gently coerce the cheese to fit in all the space while not rearranging the noodles. Be patient. What worked best for me was to use the back of a wooden spoon and gently roll the spoon back and forth over the cheese.

Next, comes another two cups of sauce over the cheese mixture. This continues one more time. Another layer of noodles, another layer of cheese mixture, and another layer of sauce. 

Step #9 – Layering the Lasagna – The Last Step

To finalize this layering process, you end with a layer of noodles and a layer of meat sauce. This is the layering count – four layers of sauce, three layers of noodles, and two layers of cheese mixture.

How Long Should the Lasagna cook in the Crock Pot?

Place that crockpot on high, grab a good book, maybe even a glass of wine, and enjoy four hours of relaxation. Because the hard part is completely done and it’s up to the slow cooker to get the work done. (You can cook it on low for 6-8 hours if that is more convenient.) You don’t want to cook it too long or the noodles will become somewhat mushy.

• Once the noodles are tender, pull out the removable pot, dot the whole surface with cubes of fresh mozzarella, and put the lasagna in a 400°F preheated oven or under the broiler until the cheese melts. For a pretty garnishment, you can scatter small basil leaves on top once it comes out of the oven.

Can you Make Crockpot Lasagna ahead of time?

Absolutely. It is what makes this meal so convenient. Prepare and layer all the ingredients up to the point of cooking the lasagna. Cover and place in the fridge the night before you are planning on serving it. Pull it out the next day and cook as directed. 

How to Store Leftover

This makes a good amount of lasagna, enough for you to have plenty of leftovers.

To Refrigerate – Let the lasagna cool completely. If you have a removable crock pot, cover with plastic wrap then cover with the glass lid. If it is not removable cut individual pieces and place them in an airtight container. The cooked lasagna can be stored in the refrigerator for three to five days. 

To Freeze – The best way to freeze would be to cool completely.  Once cooled, cut individual servings and set them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer until they are frozen solid. Remove and place them in plastic freezer bags.

How to Reheat leftovers

When you are ready to reheat, if frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator and cover with foil. Reheat in a 300°F oven for about 30 minutes or until heated through.

Oooey, gooey, cheesy, and saucy – what a beautiful mess. This Easy Lasagna recipe has never failed me yet! Over the years, I’ve made it on numerous occasions. People have always said it’s the best lasagna they’ve ever had. Now I’m a little biased, so I want to be careful to not brag. But, in my humble opinion, I would have to agree (wink, wink).

The best way to serve this is with some toasted crusty garlic bread. Some days, you just need a little bit of “comfort.” 

If you’re looking for more “comfort” food, check these recipes out:

Puff Pastry Chicken Pot Pie

Homemade Spaghetti and Meatballs

Vodka Pasta Sauce

Homemade Chicken and Noodles

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Beef Stroganoff (flambé)

Beef Short Rib Chili

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