Crockpot Lasagna
This cozy, cheesy lasagna gave me that nostalgic childhood feeling of eating cooked ravioli—soft pasta, rich tomato sauce, and creamy cheese in every bite. Made with ground turkey and cottage cheese, it’s an easy family dinner without boiling the noodles first!
Quick Notes
I made this in our 8-quart crockpot using two 1.33-pound packages of ground turkey, and those amounts are already reflected below. I cooked mine on HIGH when we were short on time, but LOW works too. Low-fat cottage cheese works well; blend it first if your family prefers a smooth filling. Onion and garlic powders add flavor without visible pieces. Crockpots vary, so check the noodles in the center for doneness. This lasagna is soft and scoopable; resting it with the lid off helps it firm up.
Makes: About 10–12 servings
Equipment: 8-quart crockpot
Time: About 25 minutes prep + approximately 2½–3½ hours on HIGH or 4–5 hours on LOW, plus 15–20 minutes resting
Ingredients
2.66 lb ground turkey (two 1.33-pound packages), preferably 93% lean - 2.5lbs would be just fine too!
1½ tsp onion powder
¾ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp black pepper
3 jars marinara sauce, 24 oz each
¾ cup water
14–18 regular lasagna noodles, uncooked, as needed for three mostly single layers
24 oz low-fat cottage cheese (about 3 cups)
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella, divided
⅓ cup grated Parmesan
Cooking spray
Directions
Brown the turkey in a large skillet, working in batches if needed. Break into small pieces and cook to 165°F. Drain excess liquid if needed, then stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and pepper.
Combine the cooked turkey, marinara, and water in a large bowl or pot. Don’t simmer it down—the uncooked noodles need the moisture.
Mix the cottage chees with 1½ cups mozzarella and all the Parmesan. Reserve the remaining 1½ cups mozzarella for topping.
Spray the crockpot and spread about 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce across the bottom.
Add a layer of noodles, broken to fit with minimal overlap. Spread with half the cheese filling and one-third of the remaining meat sauce.
Add a second noodle layer, the remaining cheese filling, and another third of the meat sauce. Finish with a third noodle layer and all remaining meat sauce. Cover every noodle with sauce, and keep the crockpot no more than about three-quarters full.
Cover and cook on HIGH for approximately 2½–3½ hours or LOW for approximately 4–5 hours. Begin checking around 2½ hours on HIGH or 3½ hours on LOW if your crockpot runs hot. The noodles in the center should be fully tender and the middle hot throughout. A deeper batch may need additional time.
Sprinkle with the remaining 1½ cups mozzarella. Cover for another 10–15 minutes, until melted.
Turn the crockpot OFF, remove the lid, and let rest for 15–20 minutes before serving to help the lasagna firm up. Or longer! The kids weren’t ready for dinner yet, so it sat for 30-40 minutes. Helped the sauce firm up, and it was still hot.
