When it comes to creative dinner ideas, Italian recipes are generally pretty reliable and always delicious—or at least, the Americanized versions of them often are. Everyone loves a good dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, maybe with a side of garlic bread. You also can’t go wrong with a nice cheesy pizza. Still, one delicious dish that we typically don’t have as often is a good lasagna.
Though you might be used to baking your lasagna in the oven, you can also make a cheesy and delicious version right in your slow cooker. As an added bonus, this recipe also works ravioli into the mix for an extra burst of flavor.
Here’s what you need:
- 1 package of ravioli (25 to 30 ounces, choose your filling)
- 1 jar of tomato sauce
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
- salt
- pepper
- fresh basil (optional)
Here’s what you do:
1. Before anything else, you’ll need to cook your meat together with the onions and garlic for use in your lasagna. To do so, get a skillet going over medium-high and throw in all your ingredients. Stir everything together and keep cooking it until all the beef is evenly browned with no remaining pink.
2. Once it’s done, drain the fat from the pan and season the mixture with Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Throw in your tomato pasta sauce and stir everything together.
3. Take about half a cup of your beefy sauce mixture and spread it evenly on the bottom of your slow cooker. Next, open up your ravioli and spread a layer of them down on top of the sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella on top of the ravioli. Repeat the entire process again, ending with one last layer of sprinkled cheese.
4. Cover your slow cooker and set it on high for three to four hours. Once the time is up, make sure your pasta is cooked all the way through and the cheese is fully melted—and you’re ready to serve! Scoop the lasagna out into bowls and top it with fresh basil for an added flavor boost.
Now that you know the basics of slow cooker lasagna, feel free to experiment with different types of ravioli to change the taste up as you see fit. You can also try mixing in some other kinds of cheese or meat as well to change the taste (or the calorie count). No matter what you do, your family is sure to love it!
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