Easy Crockpot Ravioli Lasagna
A super-easy “lazy lasagna” made with frozen ravioli, pasta sauce, cheese, and ground beef. No boiling noodles required!
Ingredients
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1 lb (450 g) ground beef or Italian sausage
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1 jar (24 oz / 680 g) marinara or pasta sauce
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1 bag (25–30 oz / 700–850 g) frozen cheese ravioli
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2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
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½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
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1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
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½ teaspoon garlic powder
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Salt and black pepper, to taste
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Optional: ½ cup chopped onion
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Optional: fresh parsley or basil for serving
Instructions
1. Brown the meat
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook for about 7–10 minutes, breaking it apart with a spoon as it cooks.
If using onion, add it with the beef and cook until softened.
Drain off excess grease. Season with the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, a little salt, and black pepper.
Don’t put raw ground beef directly into the crockpot for this recipe. Browning it first gives better texture and flavor and allows you to drain excess fat.
2. Start layering
Spray the inside of your 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Spread about ½ cup of pasta sauce over the bottom.
Add a layer of frozen ravioli. You don’t need to thaw or boil the ravioli first.
3. Add the meat and cheese
Spoon some of the cooked beef over the ravioli.
Sprinkle with some mozzarella and Parmesan.
Add another layer of sauce.
4. Repeat
Continue layering:
Sauce → frozen ravioli → meat → mozzarella → Parmesan
until you’ve used everything.
Finish with a generous layer of mozzarella and Parmesan on top.
5. Slow cook
Cover the crockpot and cook on:
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LOW: 4–5 hours
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HIGH: 2–3 hours
Try not to remove the lid frequently because each time you do, the slow cooker loses heat and cooking time increases.
The ravioli should be tender and the cheese should be completely melted and bubbly.
6. Rest and serve
Turn off the crockpot and let the ravioli lasagna rest for about 10 minutes before serving. This helps it set up so it’s easier to scoop.
Garnish with fresh parsley or basil if desired.
⭐ Easy 5-Ingredient Version
If you want to make it as simple as possible, use just:
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1 lb ground beef
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1 jar pasta sauce
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1 bag frozen cheese ravioli
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2 cups mozzarella
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½ cup Parmesan
Brown the beef, then layer everything in the crockpot and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours.
Tips for the best crockpot ravioli lasagna
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Use frozen ravioli, not refrigerated ravioli, unless you adjust the cooking time.
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Don’t add too much sauce between layers—the ravioli releases some moisture as it cooks.
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Cheese ravioli works particularly well, but beef, spinach, or four-cheese ravioli can also be used.
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For a vegetable version, add layers of spinach, mushrooms, zucchini, or bell peppers.
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For extra cheesy lasagna, add a layer of ricotta mixed with Parmesan between the ravioli layers.
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Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for about 3–4 days and reheat nicely in the microwave.
