Description
This Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna is an easy and comforting one-pot meal combining layers of frozen cheese ravioli, seasoned ground beef, ricotta, mozzarella, and marinara sauce, slow-cooked to perfection in a crockpot. It’s a perfect hassle-free dinner with deliciously tender ravioli and melted cheesy goodness infused with Italian herbs.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Cheese
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Vegetables & Herbs
- 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sauces & Others
- 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
- 1 package (25 oz) frozen cheese ravioli
- Nonstick cooking spray
Instructions
- Brown and Season Beef: In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until fully cooked. Drain excess fat, then season the beef with garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Prepare Crockpot: Spray the bottom and sides of the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- First Sauce Layer: Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce evenly across the bottom of the crockpot.
- Layer Ravioli: Arrange half of the frozen cheese ravioli over the marinara sauce layer.
- Ricotta Layer: Spoon half of the ricotta cheese onto the ravioli and gently spread it across.
- Add Ground Beef: Distribute half of the cooked and seasoned ground beef evenly over the ricotta layer.
- Spinach Layer: Sprinkle half of the fresh chopped spinach on top of the beef layer.
- Second Sauce Layer: Pour half of the remaining marinara sauce over the spinach and spread evenly.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce layer.
- Repeat Layers: Repeat the layering steps with the remaining ravioli, ricotta, ground beef, spinach, marinara sauce, and finish with the last 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.
- Top with Parmesan: Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese evenly over the top layer.
- Cook: Cover the crockpot and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours, or until the ravioli are tender and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve: Serve hot, optionally garnished with extra basil or Parmesan cheese, and enjoy your crockpot ravioli lasagna.
Notes
- You can substitute ground beef with ground turkey or sausage for a different flavor.
- Fresh spinach can be swapped with frozen, just be sure to thaw and drain excess water before layering.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the ground beef and double the amount of spinach or add sautéed mushrooms.
- Ensure ravioli is sufficiently covered by sauce to avoid drying out during cooking.
- The dish can be kept warm for up to 2 hours in the crockpot after cooking.
