Crock It Like It’s Hot: Lasagna Edition!

Slow Cooker Lasagna Recipe

Meal Type: Dinner

Difficulty level: Easy

Dad Rating:  👍 👍 

Kid Rating: 👍 👍 

Total Servings: 10 Servings at 1 cup per serving 

Calories per serving: 450

Cost per serving: $2.48

Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Cook Time: 5 hours

Gadgets Needed: 

( Links provided below are Amazon Associate links personally recommended by me, thank you for your support.)

• Slow Cooker
• Garlic Press
• Heavy Skillet
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Medium Mixing Bowl
• Sauce Spoon

Ah, lasagna—the one dish that’s got layers deeper than a teenage poetry phase. This Italian classic isn’t just a meal; it’s a full-on construction project. Think about it: you’ve got pasta sheets stacked like edible floorboards, cheese acting as the glue, and meat sauce filling every gap like culinary insulation. Honestly, the only difference between lasagna and a well-built house is that you won’t get fined by a building inspector if it collapses.

Now, let’s talk about the layers—because lasagna is basically an edible onion. Every bite is a surprise, like peeling back layers of disappointment after realizing the top sheet of pasta looks perfect, but the one underneath stuck to the pan like a clingy ex. And speaking of sticky situations, try serving a perfect slice of lasagna without it falling apart. It’s like trying to remove the first tissue from a brand-new box—good luck!

Of course, the real MVP of lasagna is cheese and nothing is too cheesy for this blog. With lasagna you’ve got ricotta, mozzarella, parmesan—it’s a full dairy reunion in there. I’d argue that cheese is the most important part because, let’s be honest, if a lasagna doesn’t stretch when you lift your fork, did you even eat lasagna, or did you just consume fancy spaghetti pancakes? Cheese pulls are basically the high-five of the food world.

Then, there’s the meat sauce, or as I like to call it, the traffic jam of flavors. Ground beef, garlic, tomatoes, and seasoning all merging together like rush-hour traffic but way tastier. The sauce is essential because it keeps everything moist and prevents your lasagna from turning into a pasta-based brick. Without it, you’d be eating something drier than my sense of humor after a bad pun.

In the end, lasagna is a comfort food champion. It’s hearty, it’s cheesy, and it always leaves you feeling stuffed. Plus, it’s one of the few foods that actually tastes better the next day—like it marinated overnight in a cozy blanket of flavor. Remember when making lasagna: it’s not just food, it’s a lasagna-tude of happiness wrapped in pasta. Could this meal possibly get any better? Yeah, you are going to let the slow cooker do the heavy lifting while you are off enjoying the time with your kid(s). Give this recipe a whirl and enjoy your day. Use the comments section below to let me know how it turned out or what you did instead of spending time in the kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp olive oil ($0.06)
• 1 lb lean ground beef ($7.49)
• 1 yellow onion, medium sized ($1.11)
• 4 cloves of garlic ($0.99)
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce ($1.48)
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste ($0.89)
• 1 ½ tsp salt ($0.01)
• 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.14)
• 16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese ($4.22)
• 12 oz ricotta cheese ($2.48)
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese ($4.00)
• 1 (12 ounce) package lasagna noodles ($1.85)

Instructions:

1. Peel the skin from the garlic cloves. (1 minute)
2. Chop the onion finely. (2 minutes)
3. Pour the teaspoon of olive oil into the heavy skillet. (1 minute)
4. Cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid over high heat and monitor oil mixture for a shimmery appearance. (1 minute)
5. When the oil mixture is shimmery and hot, add the garlic and onion to the pan and stir for about 10 seconds or until it's fragrant. 
6. Add the lean ground beef next and stir until well combined and browned. (5 minutes)
7. Combine tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and oregano in the medium mixing bowl. (1 minute)
8. Pour the sauce mixture into the skillet to combine with the browned beef, garlic, and onion. (1 minute)
9. Simmer on low until evenly heated. (5 minutes)
10. In the large mixing bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, and mozzarella cheeses for a well blended mixture. (1 minute)
11. Use the sauce spoon to cover the bottom of the slow cooker with a layer of the meat sauce mixture from the heavy skillet. (30 seconds)
12. Add two layers of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce mixture in the slow cooker, breaking the noodles to fit as needed. (1 minute)
13. Add a layer of the cheese mixture atop of the noodles. (1 minute)
14. Repeat the layering of sauce, noodles, and cheese until all the ingredients are used.
15. Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on low for approximately 5 hours.