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Baked Ravioli Casserole

This cheesy baked ravioli casserole is an entire meal-in-one. It’s a super easy ravioli bake that can be made in advance, for meal prep. This ravioli recipe is great for busy weeknights, and delicious enough to share with friends.

Baked Ravioli Casserole in a dish.

How tHis Recipe Stands Out

  • Baked Ravioli is a super easy one-pot recipe everyone adores.
  • It’s loaded with inexpensive ingredients, so it’s great for any budget.
  • Baked ravioli comes together in less than an hour – the perfect meal prep recipe or weeknight dinner.
  • It’s the ultimate comfort food, with cheesy goodness and savory sauce.
  • You can fully assemble and freeze this dish for baking later.

Video: Watch Us Make This Recipe

Key Ingredients

ravioli bake ingredients in a pan.
  • Protein: Use two pounds of lean ground beef or ground turkey.
  • Ravioli: Refrigerated or frozen cheese ravioli is our favorite choice.
  • Sauce: Choose your favorite red sauce – marinara, spaghetti sauce, etc.
  • Tomatoes: Use plain diced tomatoes with all the juices; do not drain.
  • Cheeses: A combination of mozzarella and colby jack cheese are perfect here. Parmesan cheese is used for topping.
  • Seasonings: Freshly ground black pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and sugar bring out scrumptious flavors.

Step-By-Step Instructions

One amazing thing about this recipe is the ability to prepare it completely ahead of time. It’s easy to assemble all the ingredients and either cook it immediately, or prepare it for the freezer.

  1. Brown the Meat: Brown ground meat in a large heavy pot on medium high heat. Drain excess grease.
  2. Prep Sauce: In the same pot, add pasta sauce, diced tomatoes with juices, and the spices.
  3. Prep Casserole: Spread the sauce evenly over bottom of baking dish. Layer half of the ravioli over sauce, followed by half of the cheeses. Repeat layers, finishing with sauce. Sprinkle parmesan across the top.
  4. Bake: Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 450F for 30 minutes or until the ravioli is tender

How to Make Ahead:

      If preparing this ravioli bake in advance for future use, skip step 4 above. Cover tightly with foil, and place in the fridge or freezer. When ready to cook, bake directly from fridge or freezer. If frozen, bake at least 60 minutes.

      Commonly Asked Question

      What is the best way to cook frozen ravioli?

      We love using frozen ravioli in a casserole. It’s super easy to make, you can prep it ahead of time, and it delivers a hearty meal that is full of flavor. The cheeses give this baked ravioli a creamy texture.

      Can I make baked ravioli casserole ahead of time?

      The beauty of a multi-layered ravioli bake made with meat sauce, cheese, and frozen ravioli is that you really can fully prep it and cook it another day. Either place it in the fridge, if you are going to use it within a few days.

      Can I freeze an assembled, unbaked ravioli casserole

      You can freeze an unbaked casserole by fully assembling the dish entirely as written, wrap it tightly with cling wrap or foil, and place in freezer for up to a month. Bake for 1 hour, directly from frozen.

      What meats can I use in baked ravioli casserole?

      You can really use any ground meat you like. Ground beef is popular, turkey is a lean alternative, and Italian sausage provides the most robust flavor. You can also omit the meat entirely and go vegetarian!

      Did you make this?

      Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!

      Baked Ravioli Casserole in a dish.

      Cheesy Baked Ravioli Casserole

      4.92 from 94 ratings
      This cheesy baked ravioli casserole is an entire meal-in-one.  Start with frozen ravioli for an easy, delicious meal that is perfect for meal prep. 
      Prep Time: 20 minutes
      Cook Time: 30 minutes
      Total Time: 50 minutes
      Servings: 8
      Author: Amy Dong

      Ingredients  

      • 2 lbs ground beef, or ground turkey
      • 25 oz cheese ravioli, refrigerated or frozen
      • 26 oz pasta sauce
      • 28 oz diced tomatoes, plain, with juices
      • 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
      • 2 cups Colby Jack cheese, shredded
      • 2 tsp dried oregano
      • ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
      • 1 TB garlic powder
      • 1 TB onion powder
      • 1 TB white sugar
      • Freshly grated Parmesan for topping

      Instructions

      • Cook ground meat in large heavy pot over medium high heat.  Stir and break up pieces until cooked through.  Drain any excess grease.  Turn heat off.
      • Add pasta sauce and diced tomatoes with juices to the pot.  Add oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and sugar.  Stir to incorporate well.
      • Spread 1/3 of the meat sauce evenly onto the bottom of a 9×11 baking dish.  Arrange 1/2 of the frozen ravioli over the sauce.  Spread 1/2 of mozzarella and 1/2 of Colby cheeses over the ravioli.
        Repeat layers. You should end with last 1/3 of the sauce on top.  Sprinkle top evenly with Parmesan.
      • If using right away: cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake at 450F for 30  minutes, or until ravioli is tender.
        If not using right away: cover tightly with foil and place in fridge.  When ready to use, loosen foil and bake at 450F for 50-60 minutes.

      Notes

      • Feel free to add veggies to this ravioli bake: frozen spinach (remove excess moisture,) sliced zucchini, or diced bell peppers all work well.
      • You can use any flavor of frozen ravioli – beef, cheese, or spinach – it’s your choice. 
      • If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating. We ❤️ hearing from you!

      Nutrition (per serving)

      Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 1444mg | Potassium: 916mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1042IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 455mg | Iron: 14mg
      Course: Dinner, Main Dish
      Cuisine: Itialian
      Method: Stovetop

      More to Cook and Eat

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      Recipe Rating




      42 comments

        • Angela
        • 5 stars

        AWESOME! Added diced cooked onion, mushrooms and broccoli. Nothing left! Will be making again,

        • Liz
        • 5 stars

        This recipe was soooo easy and Mmmmmm delish. Love a lot of your recipes Amy.

          • Amy Dong

          YAY, so happy to hear it, Liz!

        • Rick

        Already saved the recipe and will make soon.
        Question if the one tablespoon of black pepper versus one teaspoon to confirm.
        Thanks

          • Amy Dong

          Thank you, Rick – updated 🙂 Hope you love it!

        • Ann
        • 5 stars

        This ravioli casserole sounds wonderful! Excited to give it a try tonight for dinner! Thanks for the recipe share!

        • Jamie
        • 5 stars

        It definitely looks so delicious and yummy! It’s cheesy and juiciness of this dish will a big hit to many, especially to kids. I totally recommend this for this upcoming Christmas festivity! Loved it!

          • Amy Dong

          Yay, Jamie, thank you!

        • Cathleen
        • 5 stars

        This casserole looks perfect! I am going to make it tomorrow night, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂

        • Maggie

        I pinned this for this Sunday. We have a big family dinner, and I can’t wait for my family to eat this with me.

          • Amy Dong

          Yay, you guys are going to love it!

        • Tracy
        • 5 stars

        What a meal! Everyone loved it, thanks so much. We can’t wait to make it again!

        • Luke Ratford
        • 5 stars

        The perfect ravioli dinner, that melted cheese just sold it to me; the flavouring was amazing, and this will be on our list for midweek meals 🙂

        • Moop Brown
        • 5 stars

        This recipe seems perfect for meal prep which I think makes it perfect for weeknights.

        • Dennis Littley
        • 5 stars

        I had an impromptu dinner with friends last night and luckily had a bag of ravioli in the freezer. I made this for them and they raved!! I can’t wait to make it again so I can get more of it this time around!

        • GUNJAN
        • 5 stars

        made it for dinner last night and my kids asked for 3 helpings and that was a surprise for me. They actually over ate and I am making it again tomorrow on demand 🙂

        • veenaazmanov
        • 5 stars

        This sounds like a super delicious and cheesy dish. Perfect for a weekend special dinner. I love it.

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