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This Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup is everything you love about homemade lasagna, minus all the layering and fuss! We’re talking a rich, hearty meat sauce made with ground beef, Italian sausage, and a little bacon for extra flavor. Everything simmers low and slow, then gets finished with a big ol’ dollop of cheesy ricotta. All that saucy, cheesy lasagna goodness in one cozy bowl? Honey, say less! This is comfort food at its finest!
For more easy comfort food recipes, make my chicken alfredo lasagna and baked spaghetti with Italian sausage!
Ok, I love lasagna y’all – but it is a labor of love, ok?! In fact, I really only make my lasagna bolognese around Christmas time. However, when that lasagna craving hits, this slow cooker lasagna soup is what I turn to. You make a quick meat sauce on the stove and pour it into a crockpot and boom – it does all of the work for you! And we love a set it and forget recipe, don’t we?!
Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup Recipe Overview
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🍲 Cook Time: 8 hours
- 🧑🍳 Total Time: About 8 hours 30 minutes
- 👪 Serves: Approximately 8–10 servings
- 🍅 Made With: Ground beef, Italian sausage, bacon, marinara, lasagna noodles, heavy cream, mozzarella, Parmesan, and basil ricotta
- 🍲 Why This Recipe is the Best: This isn’t your average lasagna soup! Crispy bacon, ground beef, and Italian sausage create a rich, savory base, while a splash of balsamic vinegar balances the tomatoes. Finish it with a little cream and a big ol’ dollop of cheesy ricotta, and you’ve got all the goodness of homemade lasagna in one cozy bowl!
Table of contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
(The full list of ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.)
- Ground beef and mild Italian sausage: Using both gives the soup a rich, meaty flavor. The Italian sausage adds its own blend of herbs and spices, while the ground beef makes the soup hearty and satisfying.
- Bacon: A little bacon adds smoky, savory depth. I like cooking the vegetables in the rendered bacon fat to build even more flavor.
- Tomato paste, tomato sauce, and marinara: These three ingredients work together to create a rich tomato base. Tomato paste adds concentrated flavor, while the marinara brings additional seasoning and body.
- Balsamic vinegar: My little secret for balancing all those rich, savory flavors! It adds a subtle tanginess that makes the tomato broth taste even better.
- Lasagna noodles: Regular dried lasagna noodles work beautifully here. Just break them into bite-sized pieces before adding them to the slow cooker.
- Ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and fresh basil: These make the cheesy ricotta topping. It’s creamy, herby, and tastes just like the cheese filling in a homemade lasagna. If you can, use freshly grated Parmesan. It melts more smoothly into the soup than the pre-shredded stuff.
How to Make Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
(The full list of ingredients and detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card below.)
Step 1: Cook the bacon, vegetables, and meat. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon until crispy. Add the onion and bell pepper, followed by the ground beef and Italian sausage. Once browned, stir in the garlic, seasonings, tomato paste, and balsamic vinegar.
Step 2: Let the slow cooker do its thing. Add the tomato sauce, marinara, and beef broth to the slow cooker. Stir in the meat mixture, cover, and cook on LOW for 8 hours until the flavors are rich and well developed.
Step 3: Add the noodles and cream. During the last 30–40 minutes of cooking, add the broken lasagna noodles to the crockpot. Cook until tender, switching the slow cooker to HIGH if needed. Stir in the heavy cream, mozzarella, and Parmesan until creamy and combined.
Step 4: Make the ricotta topping and serve. Mix the ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, fresh basil, and seasonings. Ladle the soup into bowls and finish each serving with a generous dollop of the cheesy ricotta mixture. Enjoy!
Britney’s Pro Tips
- Brown the meat before adding it to the slow cooker. I know it’s tempting to skip this step, but it makes a big difference! Browning the meat creates deeper, more savory flavors. The slow cooker is great for bringing flavors together, but it doesn’t develop that same browned flavor on its own.
- Add the noodles toward the end. This is important! Pasta absorbs liquid as it cooks, and leaving it in the slow cooker for hours can cause it to become mushy. Adding it during the final 30–40 minutes helps the noodles stay tender without falling apart. Make sure the soup is hot enough to cook them, and adjust the time as needed.
- Save the cream and cheese for last. Heavy cream, mozzarella, and Parmesan are best added after the noodles have cooked. Adding them earlier can make the broth greasy or cause the cheese to separate during the long cooking process.
What to Serve With Lasagna Soup
This soup is hearty enough to be a complete meal, but you already know I love a little something on the side! A warm slice of homemade cheesy garlic bread is perfect for soaking up that rich tomato broth. You can also serve it with a simple Caesar salad, roasted vegetables, or warm brioche dinner rolls to round out the meal.
How to Store and Reheat Lasagna Soup
Allow the soup to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days. If freezing, freeze the soup base before adding the noodles. Store in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat, then add freshly cooked noodles and finish with cream and cheese.
A little heads-up: Lasagna noodles will continue absorbing liquid as the soup sits, so don’t be surprised if your leftovers are thicker the next day. A little extra broth will bring everything right back together.
Lasagna Soup Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can leave the heavy cream out entirely for a more tomato-forward soup.
If you still want a creamy finish, the cheesy ricotta topping adds plenty of richness to each bowl.
Absolutely! In fact, this is a great recipe to prepare ahead of time. For the best texture, make the soup base in advance and refrigerate it separately from the noodles and ricotta topping. When you’re ready to serve, reheat the soup, cook the noodles, stir in the cream and cheese, and finish each bowl with the ricotta mixture.
You can, but I don’t recommend it if you want the best texture. Cooked lasagna noodles tend to soften after freezing and reheating, and cream-based soups can sometimes separate. For the best results, freeze the soup and the noodles separately, then add freshly cooked noodles, cream, and cheese when you’re ready to eat.
Lasagna noodles continue absorbing broth as they cook and even after you turn off the slow cooker. That’s why your soup might look perfect at dinner but more like a pasta dish the next day! Just stir in a splash of warm beef broth until you reach your desired consistency.
More Cozy Soup Recipes
Main Course
Tuscan Soup with Tortellini (one-pot meal)
Main Course
Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup
Main Course
Marry Me Chicken Soup
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If you make this Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 4 slices Bacon
- 1 Yellow Onion, (diced)
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, (diced)
- 1 lb Ground Mild Italian Sausage
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 6 cloves Garlic, (diced)
- 6 oz Tomato Paste
- 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 15 oz Tomato Sauce
- 24 oz Marinara
- 4 cups Beef Broth
- 10 Lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
- 1/2 cup Mozzarella, shredded
- ½ cup Parmesan, freshly grated
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
Ricotta mixture
- 15 oz Whole Milk Ricotta
- 1/2 cup Parmesan, (shredded)
- 1 cup Mozarella, (shredded)
- 3 tbsp Fresh Basil, (chopped)
- ½ tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, add chopped bacon and cook for 5-7 minutes, until crispy and the bacon fat begins to render. Add yellow onion and green bell pepper and continue to cook for 5 minutes, until softened. 4 slices Bacon 1 Yellow Onion 1 Green Bell Pepper
- Add ground Italian sausage and ground beef and use the bottom of a spatula or wooden spoon to break up the ground beef. Cook until no longer pink, about 7-8 minutes, then add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, kosher salt, black pepper, and diced garlic. Stir together and cook for 2-3 minutes, mixing constantly, until fragrant. 1 lb Ground Mild Italian Sausage 1 lb Ground Beef 1 tbsp Italian seasoning 2 tsp Garlic Powder 2 tsp Onion Powder 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes 2 tsp Kosher Salt 1 tsp Black Pepper 6 cloves Garlic
- Add tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 3 minutes, until the tomato paste coats all of the meat and veggies. Pour tomato sauce, marinara, and beef broth into a slow cooker and mix together. Add the meat mixture and stir to mix. Cook on low for 8 hours. 6 oz Tomato Paste 2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 15 oz Tomato Sauce 24 oz Marinara 4 cups Beef Broth
- At the 7 hour mark, break lasagna noodles in half and add the broken up pieces into the slow cooker. Cook for 30-40 minutes, until the noodles are tender. If the noodles are still toothsome, continue to cook for an additional 10-20 minutes, then add mozzarella, parmesan, and heavy cream and stir together. 10 Lasagna noodles 1/2 cup Mozzarella ½ cup Parmesan 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- Before serving, mix together ricotta, parmesan, mozzarella, fresh basil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and kosher salt and black pepper, to taste. 15 oz Whole Milk Ricotta 1/2 cup Parmesan 1 cup Mozarella 3 tbsp Fresh Basil ½ tsp Garlic Powder 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Add lasagna soup to a bowl and dollop the ricotta mixture on top.
Video
Notes
- Brown the meat before adding it to the slow cooker. I know it’s tempting to skip this step, but it makes a big difference! Browning the meat creates deeper, more savory flavors. The slow cooker is great for bringing flavors together, but it doesn’t develop that same browned flavor on its own.
- Add the noodles toward the end. This is important! Pasta absorbs liquid as it cooks, and leaving it in the slow cooker for hours can cause it to become mushy. Adding it during the final 30–40 minutes helps the noodles stay tender without falling apart. Make sure the soup is hot enough to cook them, and adjust the time as needed.
- Save the cream and cheese for last. Heavy cream, mozzarella, and Parmesan are best added after the noodles have cooked. Adding them earlier can make the broth greasy or cause the cheese to separate during the long cooking process.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
