Baked Ravioli Casserole
- By Amy Dong
- Published Nov. 27, 2022
- Updated Oct. 11, 2023
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.
In This Article
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
- 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.
- Brown the Meat: Brown ground meat in a large heavy pot on medium high heat. Drain excess grease.
- Prep Sauce: In the same pot, add pasta sauce, diced tomatoes with juices, and the spices.
- 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.
- 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
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.
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.
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.
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?
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Cheesy Baked Ravioli Casserole
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)
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