Crock pot Baked Ziti

Just brown the meat, layer everything in the slow cooker, and let it cook while you handle the rest of your evening. It makes six generous servings for about $2.96 each, which makes it an easy, budget-friendly dinner the whole family will ask for again.

Your entire family will love it and it is so easy to make. Plus, it is very frugal. Another must-try are these baked ziti with chicken, stuffed shells recipe, or baked ziti.

Why You’ll Love Easy Crock Pot Baked Ziti Recipe

• No pre-boiling, no extra pot. The pasta cooks right in the slow cooker with the sauce, so there’s nothing to boil and just one pot to clean.
• Budget-friendly. This entire recipe costs about $17.73, or roughly $2.96 a serving — a fraction of what you’d pay for baked ziti at a restaurant.
• Great for busy nights. Layer it in the morning, or right before you need it, and let the slow cooker handle dinner while you handle everything else.
• Feeds a crowd. With three kinds of cheese and a hearty meat sauce, this recipe makes six generous servings, with leftovers to spare.
• Kid-approved comfort food. Cheesy baked pasta is an easy win with picky eaters, and it reheats well for lunches the next day.

Homemade vs. Restaurant Italian: The Real Savings

A baked ziti or similar pasta entree at a sit-down Italian restaurant typically runs $16-$22 per person. This entire pot of crock pot baked ziti costs about $17.73 total, or roughly $2.96 per serving — meaning you can feed a family of six for close to the price of one restaurant plate. That is real savings.

Ingredients

• Ground Beef – Cook and drain before adding to the slow cooker. Ground sausage or ground turkey both work well here too.
• Onion – Chop into small pieces
• Egg – Binds the cheese mixture together
• Minced Garlic – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
• Italian Seasoning – You can also make Homemade Italian Seasoning
• Diced Tomatoes – Adds texture
• Crushed Tomatoes – You can also use Easy Marinara Sauce
• Beef Broth – Used to cook the pasta. You can also use chicken broth or vegetable broth
• Penne or Ziti Noodles – Use any type of small pasta
• Ricotta Cheese – Substitute with cottage cheese
• Mozzarella Cheese – Use hand shredded fresh mozzarella cheese

Slow Cooker Size: This recipe needs a 6-quart or larger slow cooker. A smaller crock pot won’t have enough room for the pasta to cook evenly.

How to Make Crock Pot Baked Ziti

Step 1 – Cook the ground beef and onion in a large skillet until browned. You will need to break up the meat as it cooks.

Step 2 – Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, salt, Italian seasoning and beef broth. Make sure to stir everything really good so that it is well combined. You can use a large bowl if your pan is not big enough.

Step 3 – Use a small bowl and stir together the ricotta cheese, egg and parmesan cheese.

Step 4 – Spread a little bit of the meat mixture into the bottom of the crock pot. You want the entire bottom to be covered.

Step 5 – Top with this mixture with ½ of the pasta and then pour ½ of the remaining sauce on top of the pasta.

Step 6 – Put spoonfuls of the ricotta cheese mixture on top of the sauce and sprinkle ½ of the mozzarella cheese on top of that.

Step 7 – Top with the remaining ingredients. Layer the pasta, meat sauce, ricotta mixture and remaining mozzarella on top.

Step 8 – Cover and cook the uncooked ziti. You can cook on high for 1 ½ hours to 2 hours or until the pasta is tender. You want the pasta to be al dente so it does not get mushy.

Step 9 – Cover slow cooker for 10 to 15 minutes cook time should do the trick for the cheese to melt. Enjoy.

Baked Ziti Tips

• I recommend buying block mozzarella cheese and grating it by hand for this recipe. It will melt better and will not be as greasy. The cheese melts smoother and all around tastes better.
• Cook the pasta al dente. You do not want to over cook the pasta or it will be mushy.
• Use a crock pot liner. These are so handy and make clean up so easy. If you don’t have any, try spraying your crock pot with cooking spray. This will also help with clean up.

Variation Ideas

• Meat. Meat. Ground beef, ground turkey, or ground Italian sausage will all work in this recipe — use whichever you prefer, or check out more of our Ground Beef Crock Pot Recipes for other easy dinner ideas.
• Tomato sauce. If you prefer a thinner consistency add a can of tomato sauce to the recipe. You could also used diced tomatoes.
• Veggies. Bell peppers add even more flavor. You can add it to the meat as it browns or just toss them in the slow cooker. They get really tender and if you diced them fine the kids won’t even notice. I think mushrooms would also be delicious.
• Pasta. You don’t have to use penne pasta. Anything will work. Some ideas include: elbow, bow tie, rigatoni or whole wheat pasta.
• Try using a jar of pasta sauce instead of tomatoes if you find you are out. This meal is just so versatile.
• Cottage cheese is a really good substitute for ricotta in dishes like this. In fact, I often combine the 2 and they make a really creamy and delicious mixture for the pasta dish.

Make the Meat Sauce Ahead

Save yourself a step on a busy night: brown the ground beef and onion, then stir in the garlic, salt, Italian seasoning, crushed tomatoes, and beef broth as directed. Let it cool completely, then freeze in a labeled freezer bag for up to 3 months.

When you’re ready to cook, thaw the sauce in the fridge overnight, then layer it with fresh pasta and cheese as directed — you’ll skip the browning step entirely.

What to Serve with Baked Ziti?

• We like to serve it with a simple side salad or Easy Grilled Broccoli.  Both of these are very simple and go great with this dish.

• Bread is a must for dipping. Our family enjoys Garlic Bread Cheese Sticks Recipe. You can also learn how to freeze garlic bread and how it saves you money.