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Easy Slow Cooker Lasagna Soup Kids Love

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This slow cooker lasagna soup is a budget-friendly, kid-approved meal that tastes like you spent hours layering noodles and ricotta when you really just dumped stuff in a pot and walked away. It’s comfort food reimagined for busy families.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 8 ounces mafalda or lasagna noodles, broken into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or basil, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned — about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain off any excess fat, leaving about a tablespoon in the pan. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Transfer the beef and onion mixture to your slow cooker. Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Stir everything together until the tomato paste is fully dissolved.
  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
  4. About 20 minutes before serving, stir the broken lasagna noodles or mafalda pasta directly into the soup. Make sure they’re fully submerged. Cover and cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the pasta is tender but still has a little bite (al dente). Stir once halfway through to prevent sticking.
  5. While the pasta cooks, mix the ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan in a small bowl. Stir in a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside at room temperature so the cheese softens slightly.
  6. Ladle the soup into bowls. Top each serving with a generous dollop of the ricotta mixture and a sprinkle of fresh parsley or basil.

Notes

Don’t add the pasta at the beginning of cooking, or you’ll end up with mushy noodles. The noodles should cook just before serving so they stay firm. For meal prep, cook the soup base (without pasta) over the weekend and refrigerate. On serving day, reheat and add pasta. Leftovers taste even better the next day; add a splash of broth when reheating.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker lasagna soup, easy lasagna soup, kid-friendly lasagna soup, crockpot lasagna soup, budget-friendly dinner, comfort food soup

Find it online: https://perkypan.com/easy-slow-cooker-lasagna-soup-kids-love/