Description
Hearty slow cooker ravioli lasagna blends classic Italian comfort with modern convenience. Cheese-laden layers meld together, creating a simple yet satisfying meal families will eagerly devour.
Ingredients
Scale
- 25 oz (708 g) frozen ravioli (5 cheese, do not thaw)
- 1 lb (454 g) ground beef (or mild sausage instead)
- 24 oz (680 g) marinara sauce (Rao’s brand)
- 8 oz (227 g) shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup white onion (diced)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp dried leaf oregano (not ground)
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Sizzle ground beef and onions in a skillet, seasoning with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried oregano until beef browns and onions turn translucent.
- Slow Cooker Setup: Spray the interior with non-stick cooking spray to prevent adhesion.
- Base Layer Construction: Spread marinara sauce across the slow cooker bottom, then arrange a uniform layer of frozen cheese ravioli to completely cover the sauce foundation.
- Protein Integration: Evenly distribute the prepared beef and onion mixture over the ravioli, creating a substantial meat layer. Top immediately with another ravioli layer.
- Cheese and Sauce Finalization: Lavishly coat the second ravioli layer with remaining marinara sauce, ensuring complete coverage. Generously sprinkle mozzarella cheese across the surface for a decadent cheese layer.
- Slow Cooking Process: Cover and cook on LOW setting for 4 hours, allowing flavors to meld and cheese to transform into a molten, creamy blanket.
- Serving Preparation: After cooking, let the lasagna rest 10-15 minutes to stabilize and intensify flavor profiles before serving.
Notes
- Meat Preparation Tip: Brown ground beef thoroughly to develop deep, rich flavor and eliminate excess moisture, ensuring a more concentrated taste profile.
- Layering Strategy: Alternate sauce, ravioli, and meat layers evenly to guarantee consistent flavor distribution and prevent dry spots in the dish.
- Cheese Melting Technique: Cover entire surface with shredded mozzarella for a golden, bubbling cheese top that creates irresistible texture and visual appeal.
- Resting Period Importance: Allow lasagna to sit 10-15 minutes after cooking, enabling ingredients to set and flavors to fully marry, resulting in a more cohesive and delicious meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 502
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 853 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg