If you love lasagna but hate how much time it takes to make it, then you will want to try this Easy Crock Pot Ravioli Lasagna recipe. It has all the flavors of lasagna without all the work. Frozen ravioli takes the place of having to make and layer lasagna noodles and ricotta cheese. It’s a huge time saver. You may never go back to making traditional lasagna again!
One of the things that I love about this recipe is how versatile it is when it comes to ingredients. You can swap out the ingredients for ones that your family enjoys or that are on sale in your local stores.
Since I started meal planning to help control my food budget I found lots of ways to enjoy this recipe AND save money by using ingredients that are on sale. Check out the tips below for more information on the different recipe variations you can make.
Easy Crock Pot Ravioli Lasagna
For this recipe, frozen cheese ravioli filled with ricotta cheese are using in place of traditional lasagna noodles. This means you won’t have to spend time cooking the lasagna noodles, layering them and then baking in the oven to enjoy all the flavors found in traditional lasagna.
This recipe is perfect for busy nights or any time you need an easy meal. Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy dinner recipe.
Ingredients for Easy Crock Pot Ravioli Lasagna:
- Frozen Ravioli – you can use your favorite type of frozen ravioli. I love using the jumbo sized ravioli. They are filled with more ricotta cheese. You can also use regular sized ravioli for this recipe. Grab a bag of ravioli of your choice. They will all work.
- Ground Beef – I use ground beef in this recipe but it can easily be swapped out for other types of meat. Check out the FAQ’s below for other options that can be used.
- Onion – use a large yellow or sweet onion.
- Beef Broth – after making this recipe a few times I found adding a bit of beef broth helps the frozen ravioli cook up soft and tender and not chewy.
- Spaghetti Sauce or Marinara Sauce – this recipe is very flexible and you can use your favorite sauce to make it. Try any flavor of spaghetti sauce or go with a marinara sauce. The sauce used in the recipe pictures is Creamy Tomato and Basil sauce from Trader Joe’s. Just about any jar of pasta sauce will be delicious in this recipe.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – we love the taste of mozzarella on this recipe.
- Seasonings – this recipe calls for salt, black pepper, garlic powder and oregano to give the sauce a flavor boost.
How to make this Crock Pot Ravioli Lasagna Recipe:
Start by preparing the meat sauce for this dish.
Place the ground beef and diced onion in a large skillet or pot. Cook them over medium-high heat, breaking the beef up as it is cooking, until the beef is browned. Drain off the excess fat.
Add the seasonings (salt, black pepper, garlic powder and oregano), the beef broth and your sauce to the pan with the browned beef. Stir to combine.
In the bottom of your slow cooker spread 1/3 of the meat sauce. Layer half of the frozen ravioli over the meat sauce. Repeat again by adding 1/3 of the meat sauce and the last of the frozen ravioli. Top with the last of the meat sauce.
Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top.
Place the lid on the crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hours.
Serve and enjoy!
How to store this Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna:
This recipe makes enough to easily serve a family of 4 to 6 people. You might even feed more depending upon the serving size each person eats and if you include some type of side dish.
I often end up with leftovers after serving 5 adults in my household. The great thing is the leftovers will taste great so they don’t often hang around for long.
Store any leftover ravioli lasagna in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days.
Can I use refrigerated ravioli instead of frozen ravioli?
I have made this with frozen ravioli and with fresh ravioli that you find in the refrigerator section of your grocery store. I prefer the texture of the frozen type over the fresh. The fresh ravioli ends up with a softer, gummier texture to me. You can use fresh ravioli. If you do then decrease the cooking time by an hour.
Should I thaw the frozen ravioli?
No. Do not thaw the frozen ravioli. Layer then into the crockpot while they are still frozen. Trust me on this. The recipe works great when they are frozen.
It also doesn’t matter what size frozen ravioli you use. I’ve tried this with mini, regular, round and jumbo ravioli. They all work well.
Can I use a different type of ground meat in this recipe?
You sure can!
Swap out the ground beef for ground Italian sausage, ground chicken and ground turkey. Use your favorite or whatever you are able to find on sale. They will all work and taste delicious in this recipe.
Can I make this recipe vegetarian?
Don’t eat meat? No problem! Swap out the ground beef with your favorite plant based meat crumbles.
You can also use diced vegetables in place of the ground hamburger. I’ve made this with spinach, diced zucchini and other vegetables in place of, as well as in addition to, the ground beef.
Variations for Ravioli Lasagna:
This recipe is so easy to make and, with a few simple swaps, you can end up with an entirely new dish to enjoy. Try making some of these changes:
Start by changing the type of ravioli you use in this recipe. Try meat ravioli, mushroom, spinach or even seasonal flavored fillings such as butternut squash.
Change your pasta sauce – use your favorite pasta or marinara sauce. You can even switch out the tomato based sauce for Alfredo sauce.
Use different meat in place of the ground beef. Swap it out for Italian ground sausage (hot or sweet), ground chicken, ground turkey, ground lamb or even plant based crumbles.
Cheese – swap out the shredded mozzarella for different kinds of cheese such as swiss, provolone or whatever you have on hand.
Vegetables – add your favorite vegetables to this crockpot ravioli lasagna. Try layering zucchini slices and then topping with the frozen ravioli. Sprinkle in diced vegetables or mix in frozen spinach with the sauce.
Side Dishes to Serve with Ravioli Lasagna:
Turn your ravioli lasagna into a complete meal by serving it with one of these easy side dishes.
Garlic bread – use a store bought garlic bread or make your own cheesy garlic bread at home.
Caesar salad – I love Caesar salad because it’s so simple to make. A head of romaine lettuce, a bit of parmesan cheese, a sprinkle of croutons and Caesar salad dressing. Try this easy to make Caesar salad dressing. You’ll never want the store bought type again!
Simple Side salad – make a quick simple green salad with your choice of lettuce, sliced tomato, cucumber, a bit of red onion and ranch dressing.
Oven Roasted Cabbage Steaks – These cabbage steaks drizzled with blue cheese dressing make a delicious side dish to serve with this dish.
Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli – Toss fresh broccoli or your favorite vegetables into the air fryer and in less than 10 minutes you’ve got a simple side dish to serve with your ravioli lasagna.
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Crock Pot Ravioli Lasagna Recipe
Equipment
- Crock pot
Ingredients
- 1 Onion medium-large, diced
- 16 ounces ground beef
- 25 ounces Frozen Ravioli
- 1/3 cup beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 24 ounces Spaghetti Sauce
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
Prepare the meat sauce
- Place the ground beef and diced onion in a large skillet or pot. Cook them over medium-high heat, breaking the beef up as it is cooking, until the beef is browned. Drain off the excess fat.
- Add the seasonings (salt, black pepper, garlic powder and oregano), the beef broth and your sauce to the pan with the browned beef. Stir to combine.
Layering ravioli
- In the bottom of the slow cooker spread 1/3 of the meat sauce. Layer half of the frozen ravioli over the meat sauce. Repeat again by adding 1/3 of the meat sauce and the last of the frozen ravioli. Top with the last of the meat sauce.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the top. Place the lid on the crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hours. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
This crock pot ravioli recipe is a family favorite. If you are looking for other great recipes the whole family will love then give some of these a try:
Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Peppers
For dessert try:
Strawberry Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls
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