Crockpot Ravioli Meatball Casserole is one of the easiest dump-and-go meals for busy weeknights. Layered with tender meatballs, cheesy ravioli, and a rich marinara sauce, it’s a delicious and comforting family-friendly meal that everyone will love.
What we love about this Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole
This meal is almost hands-free, it is so easy, and is a big favorite here. It takes about 5-10 minutes max to dump everything in the crockpot, and your meal is ready in a few hours. There’s nothing better than an easy meal on a busy night that everyone loves.
The preparation is so simple, you just layer the sauce, seasoning, frozen ravioli, frozen meatballs and cheese, and repeat, only the final layer end with marinara sauce and add additional cheese on top just before serving.
It is honestly the best comfort food. It’s a level up from spaghetti night. We love the cheesy ravioli with the marinara sauce and meatballs and the extra melted cheese takes it over the top.
For another crockpot recipe, check out our Crockpot Southwest Chicken and Rice, our Shredded Beef Nachos, or our Shredded Beef Sliders! I’m doing a series of our favorite crockpot recipes this fall, so more crockpot recipes to come!
What you need to make this Crockpot Chicken and Rice
You will need the following ingredients:
- Marinara sauce
- Italian seasoning
- Frozen ravioli
- Frozen meatballs
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- Optional: Italian parsley garnish
Crockpot Ravioli Casserole with Meatball Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- We use Rao’s brand marinara sauce, but you could buy different types of spaghetti sauce, or use a different brand. Some have roasted garlic, mushrooms, etc.
- If you would like to add veggies to the layers, you could add some chopped spinach or sautéed mushrooms.
- You could make this vegetarian without the meatballs if desired.
- You could use different cheese, like shredded fontina or provolone if desired. You could replace the Parmesan with Romano.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. Spread 16 ounces of marinara sauce in your crockpot. This will be 2/3 of one jar; you are dividing the total amount of sauce into 3rds. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning over the sauce. Spread 16 ounces of frozen ravioli in an even layer over the sauce. Layer 18 meatballs over the top of the ravioli and sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over the top. Repeat the layers (sauce, seasoning, ravioli, meatballs), except after the second layer of meatballs, spread the remainder of the marinara sauce over the meatballs.
Step 2. Cover the crockpot and cook on high for 2.5 hours. 10-15 minutes before the cooking time finishes, spread one cup of mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese over the casserole and cover to finish heating and melt the cheese. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and serve immediately.
Tips
- I definitely recommend using frozen ravioli instead of refrigerated so that it can hold up to the longer hours in the crockpot without falling apart.
- I also recommend cooking this on high for 2.5-3 hours instead of on low for 4-6 hours for the same reason. The longer cook time may result in a less desirable texture with the ravioli. I cook this dish on the weekends or throw it in the crockpot on a weeknight before my kids get home from school.
- I’ve used a 7-quart and 8-quart crockpot for this recipe. We have a few crockpots of different sizes at our house. This is one that I use and like.
Frequently Asked Questions
| How to store Crockpot Ravioli Meatball Casserole? |
| a. Once cooled, place the food in an airtight container and refrigerate. You can remove it from the crockpot and spread leftovers in a shallow layer on a plate or tray to help it cool if needed. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Store covered in the fridge for 2-3 days and in the freezer for 2-3 months. b. I do NOT recommend storing the food in the ceramic insert of the crockpot in the fridge. Never put the electrical base in the fridge. The ceramic inserts are very hot, hold on to heat, and take a long time to cool down. Food can end up being in the “danger zone” for too long, especially in the center, if stored in them in the fridge. It’s best to transfer the food to a smaller container to cool and store. |
| How to reheat Crockpot Ravioli Meatball Casserole? |
| You can warm it over the stovetop on medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring as needed. Microwaving until warm in the microwave is also a possibility for individual servings. To warm in the oven, preheat the oven to 350 and warm in an oven-safe dish, covered, for 20-25 minutes. I use plenty of marinara sauce in the recipe to also help keep the dish saucy when reheating, but you can add a little extra marinara to reheat with if needed. |
Crockpot Ravioli Meatball Casserole
Crockpot Ravioli Meatball Casserole is one of the easiest dump-and-go meals for busy weeknights. Layered with tender meatballs, cheesy ravioli, and a rich marinara sauce, it’s a delicious and comforting family-friendly meal that everyone will love.
8
servings10
minutes2.5
hours on highIngredients
Two 24-ounce jars of marinara sauce (we like Rao’s brand)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, divided
32 ounces Frozen cheese ravioli, divided (I buy a Family Size 48-ounce bag at Walmart and use 2/3 of the bag).
36 Frozen Italian meatballs, divided
2 cups Shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (I recommend freshly grated cheese)
1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan cheese
Optional garnish: chopped Italian parsley
Directions
- Grease your crockpot with cooking spray.
- Spread 16 ounces of marinara sauce in your crockpot. This will be 2/3 of one jar; you are dividing the total amount of sauce into 3rds. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning over the sauce.
- Spread 16 ounces of frozen ravioli in an even layer over the sauce.
- Layer 18 meatballs over the top of the ravioli and sprinkle 1 cup of cheese over the top.
- Repeat the layers (sauce, seasoning, ravioli, meatballs), except after the second layer of meatballs, spread the remainder of the marinara sauce over the meatballs.
- Cover the crockpot and cook on high for 2.5 hours. 10-15 minutes before the cooking time finishes, spread one cup of mozzarella cheese and the Parmesan cheese over the casserole and cover to finish heating and melt the cheese.
- Garnish with chopped parsley if desired and serve immediately.
Notes
- I definitely recommend using frozen ravioli instead of refrigerated so that it can hold up to the longer hours in the crockpot without falling apart.
- I also recommend cooking this on high for 2.5-3 hours instead of on low for 4-6 hours for the same reason. The longer cook time may result in a less desirable texture with the ravioli. I cook this dish on the weekends or throw it in the crockpot on a weeknight before my kids get home from school.
- We like this best with Costco’s Italian meatballs and Rao’s brand marinara sauce, but have made it with other brands of meatballs and sauce and still love it too.
- I highly recommend freshly grating your cheese. Pre-packed grated cheese is coated with starch or cellulose, which makes it more grainy when melting instead of creamy.
