Crock Pot Baked Ziti with seasoned floor beef, melty cheese, ziti pasta and marinara. A tacky, comforting pasta dinner made in your sluggish cooker. Really easy!
A ten-MINUTE PREP DINNER RECIPE
While you’re craving a hearty, comforting meal with out the fuss, this Crock Pot Baked Ziti is the recipe for you. Now, I do know it might sound counterintuitive to prepare dinner one thing within the crock pot while you gotta prepare dinner the meat first. The benefit of this recipe is you don’t must prepare dinner the pasta as effectively. It’ll prepare dinner within the sluggish cooker so it’s simply the meat you gotta take care of. When you get it going, you may transfer on to doing different issues whereas it cooks and also you don’t must preserve checking on it like cooking within the oven!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:Â
Certain. Whereas I examined this recipe and designed it particularly for a Crockpot, you may make a model of this within the oven. To try this, I recommend utilizing my Simple Baked Ziti recipe. Additionally price noting that if using cottage cheese is basically bothering you, I exploit ricotta in that one (since we aren’t cooking it as lengthy).
Moreover, if you wish to use the Prompt Pot, I’ve an Prompt Pot Baked Ziti recipe and should you’re cooking for 2 folks or might want a bit of leftover, I’ve a Baked Ziti for Two recipe you could favor.
I do know, I do know, I do know. Ricotta cheese is what is often utilized in ziti. However, when it’s cooking low and sluggish within the Crockpot, ricotta simply doesn’t maintain up as effectively. It tends to dry out, leaving you with a cool texture that’s truthfully not very appetizing. Cottage cheese, however, retains the ziti creamy and moist whereas supplying you with that very same scrumptious taste you’re keen on.
Certain, with the rising growing costs of beef, I do know all of us are attempting to chop again. You possibly can positively try this with this recipe. As an alternative of the 2 kilos of floor beef, you should utilize only a pound of floor beef, or attempt floor hen or floor turkey for barely extra reasonably priced choices.
Sure. You could possibly spice issues up and use 2 kilos of Italian sausage as an alternative of floor beef (or one among every).
Crockpots can all be a bit of totally different, so examine the pasta out after 2 hours to make sure you gained’t over bake it because the noodles will get mushy.
Nope. The beauty of this recipe is you don’t must prepare dinner the pasta first. It’ll prepare dinner within the Crock Pot. You possibly can definitely precook the pasta if that’s what you wish to do, however then you definately don’t want so as to add the extra water.
This may be refrigerated for 2-3 days in an hermetic container and may be reheated within the microwave.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- floor beef– please notice, whereas I made this with two kilos of floor beef, you shouldn’t have to. This seems simply high quality with only one pound. You should use all floor beef, floor sausage, floor turkey, or floor hen no matter you could have readily available. Additionally, you should utilize no matter fats degree of floor beef that you’ve got. In case you select one which has extra fats, simply be sure you drain off the surplus grease earlier than transferring on.
- minced garlic – the jarred stuff works high quality right here.
- onion powder
- Italian Seasoning
- marinara sauce– you should utilize no matter model you like. Whereas I get pleasure from utilizing Rao’s Roasted Garlic (paid affiliate hyperlink), I don’t at all times use it as a result of I do know it may be expensive. Aldi’s Specifically Chosen Premium Marinara Sauce (not a paid affiliate hyperlink) is one other model I exploit. I’ve additionally been having fun with Hunts Garlic and Herb (paid affiliate hyperlink). It’s an excellent funds pleasant possibility that tastes actually good. Most grocery shops carry it and it’s often on the underside shelf. It’s a bit of skinny, however has nice taste for the worth. I’ve additionally been recognized to simply use no matter sauce I can discover that’s low cost or one which I’ve a coupon for. Or you may make your individual Selfmade Marinara Sauce!
- cottage cheese– earlier than you get your shorts in a bunch on why I exploit cottage cheese, hear me out. You need cottage cheese for this Gradual Cooker Baked Ziti. I do know many ziti recipes use ricotta cheese, and I do too, after I’m baking it within the oven. However, when it’s cooking for some time within the crock pot, it actually helps to make use of cottage cheese. The reason being, ricotta dries out a lot sooner over the time it spends within the sluggish cooker. It turns into a cool texture and is simply gross in my private opinion. I’ve tried it and none of us have loved it. The cottage cheese offers the same taste and provides the moisture it wants for this recipe to not be too dry. I additionally use this technique in my Crock Pot Lasagna too. Lastly, if you’re nonetheless bent on utilizing ricotta, then by all means go for it.
- grated parmesan cheese – the type within the inexperienced bottle works simply high quality!
- field raw Ziti pasta– I used ziti, however you should utilize different shapes of pasta if in case you have smaller pasta that will work.
- shredded Mozzarella and Provolone cheese – I exploit a combo cheese right here however you should utilize all mozzarella cheese.
- water – that is mandatory for the pasta so don’t neglect so as to add it.
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT BAKED ZITI:
Add the bottom beef to a big skillet,prepare dinner and crumble over medium warmth till brown and now not pink. Drain any additional grease. Add the minced garlic, onion powder and Italian seasoning to the pan. Stir and prepare dinner for about one minute till garlic is aromatic. Add the marinara sauce and water and stir to mix.
Style the sauce and add a bit of salt and pepper if desired. Spray the within of a 6 quart crockpot with non-stick spray. Add 1/3 of the meat sauce to the underside of the crockpot. (You should use both a ladle or a measuring cup to scoop the sauce from the skillet into the crockpot. Don’t fear about being precise.) Add 1/3 of the raw ziti noodles excessive of the sauce.
Add ½ of the cottage cheese excessive of the noodles. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese over the cottage cheese. Repeat steps by including 1/3 of the meat sauce, then 1/3 of the noodles, the REST of the cottage cheese and the opposite ½ cup of grated cheese. This time, add the remainder of the noodles and the remaining meat sauce ensuring all of the noodles are lined. You might want to make use of a big spoon to push them down.
Cowl and prepare dinner on excessive for two.5-3 hours, or till the noodles are fork tender. When you could have roughly quarter-hour left to prepare dinner, sprinkle on the shredded cheese. Change the lid for the ultimate period of time whereas the cheese melts. End it off with a sprinkle of contemporary parsley, additional parmesan cheese and a crack of contemporary floor pepper. Serve with a aspect salad and a slice of garlic toast!
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Add 2 kilos floor beef to a big skillet,prepare dinner and crumble over medium warmth till brown and now not pink. Drain any additional grease and add again to the skillet.
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Add 1 Tablespoon minced garlic, 1 Tablespoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning to the pan. Stir and prepare dinner for about one minute till garlic is aromatic.
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Add 24 ounce jar marinara sauce and 14 ounces water and stir to mix.
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Style the sauce and add a bit of salt and pepper, to style if desired. Take off warmth.
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Spray the within of a 6 quart crockpot with non-stick spray.
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Add 1/3 of the meat sauce to the underside of the crockpot. (You should use both a ladle or a measuring cup to scoop the sauce from the skillet into the crockpot. Don’t fear about being precise.)
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Add 1/3 of the raw ziti noodles excessive of the sauce.
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Add ½ of the cottage cheese excessive of the noodles.
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Sprinkle 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese over the cottage cheese layer.
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Repeat steps by including 1/3 of the meat sauce, then 1/3 of the noodles, the REST of the cottage cheese and the opposite ½ cup of grated cheese.
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This time, add the remainder of the noodles and the remaining meat sauce ensuring all of the noodles are lined. You might want to make use of a big spoon to push them down.
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Cowl and prepare dinner on excessive for two.5-3 hours, or till the noodles are fork tender.
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When you could have roughly quarter-hour left to prepare dinner, sprinkle on 2 cups shredded mozzarella and provolone cheese. Change the lid for the ultimate period of time whereas the cheese melts.
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Non-obligatory: end it off with a sprinkle of contemporary parsley or dried parsley ,additional parmesan cheese and a crack of contemporary floor pepper.
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Serve with a aspect salad and a slice of garlic toast!
- Please confer with my FAQ’s (Incessantly Requested Questions) and ingredient checklist above for different substitutions or for the solutions to the commonest questions.
- One pound of floor meat works simply high quality with this recipe, you shouldn’t have to make every other changes. You could possibly additionally use only one pound of floor beef and one pound of floor Italian sausage as effectively.Â
- This recipe may be completed anyplace between 2.5-3 hours of cooking.Â
- In case you prefer it saucier, attempt utilizing a 32 ounce jar of marinara sauce.
- A serving of this recipe is 1 ½ cups.
Energy: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 35g | Fats: 29g | Sodium: 838mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g
“The Nation Cook dinner” will not be a dietician or nutritionist, and any dietary data shared is an estimate. If calorie rely and different dietary values are vital to you, we advocate operating the elements by means of whichever on-line dietary calculator you like. Energy and different dietary values can range fairly a bit relying on which manufacturers have been used.
