My sister makes this when she needs to feed a crowd on a dime. It tastes just like the real thing without the work. Just 4 ingredients.

This slow cooker 4-ingredient lazy lasagna is exactly what I make when I need to feed a crowd on a tight budget and don’t have the time (or energy) to fuss with boiling noodles and layering everything perfectly. The secret shortcut is using cheese-filled ravioli instead of traditional lasagna noodles, so you still get all the cheesy, saucy comfort of the real thing with almost zero prep. My sister actually started this tradition for family get-togethers—she’d plug in the slow cooker, walk away, and a few hours later we’d all be hovering over the bubbly, browned cheese. It’s cozy, practical, and tastes like you spent way more time and money than you actually did.

Serve this lazy lasagna straight from the slow cooker or transfer it to a foil-lined baking sheet for easy slicing and cleanup. It’s great with a simple green salad tossed in Italian dressing, some garlic bread or breadsticks, and a side of steamed or roasted veggies like broccoli or green beans. For a crowd, I like to set out a small bowl of grated Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes so everyone can dress up their own plate. A basic pitcher of iced tea or a bottle of red wine rounds out the meal without adding extra work.

Servings: 8-10

2 (24-ounce) jars marinara or pasta sauce

Line the inside of your slow cooker with heavy-duty aluminum foil or a slow-cooker liner, leaving enough overhang so you can lift the lasagna out later. Lightly coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray to help prevent sticking.

Spread about 1 cup of marinara sauce over the bottom of the lined slow cooker, just enough to lightly cover the surface.

Arrange a single, snug layer of frozen cheese ravioli over the sauce. It’s okay if they overlap slightly, but try to cover as much of the surface as you can.

Spoon another 1 to 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce over the ravioli, spreading it out gently so most of the pasta is covered.

Sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan evenly over the sauced ravioli layer.

Repeat the layers: ravioli, sauce, mozzarella, and Parmesan, until you’ve used all of the ravioli. Finish with a generous layer of sauce on top so no pasta is exposed, then top with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the ravioli is tender and the cheese is melted and bubbly around the edges. Try not to open the lid during cooking so the heat stays consistent.

Once cooked, turn off the slow cooker and let the lasagna sit, covered, for about 15 minutes to firm up a bit. This rest time makes it easier to slice and serve.

For browned, bubbly cheese like oven-baked lasagna, carefully lift the lasagna out of the slow cooker using the foil overhang and transfer it to a foil-lined baking sheet, keeping it as level as possible.

Place the baking sheet under the broiler on HIGH for 3 to 5 minutes, watching closely, until the top cheese is golden and browned around the edges. Remove, let cool for a few minutes, then slice into squares and serve.

To keep this truly 4 ingredients, everything you add should be optional, but there are some easy tweaks if you want to change it up. For a meatier version, brown 1 pound of ground beef or Italian sausage with a pinch of salt and pepper, drain, and sprinkle it between the ravioli layers along with the sauce and cheese. If you like extra cheesiness, swap part of the mozzarella for an Italian blend or add dollops of ricotta between layers (this will technically add another ingredient, but it’s delicious). Use any pasta sauce you like: marinara, tomato basil, or a chunky vegetable sauce all work well; just avoid very thin sauces so the lasagna doesn’t get watery. You can also stir a teaspoon of Italian seasoning or some crushed red pepper into the sauce before layering for more flavor. For make-ahead prep, assemble the entire lasagna in the slow cooker insert, cover, and refrigerate up to 12 hours; when you’re ready, add an extra 30 minutes or so to the cook time since it will be starting cold. Leftovers reheat nicely in the microwave, and you can freeze individual portions in airtight containers for easy future lunches or dinners.