- 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 64 oz. of spaghetti sauce (any kind)
- 15 oz. ricotta cheese
- 2 c. shredded mozzarella
- 1 egg
- 1 c. grated parmesan cheese
- 16 oz. uncooked ziti noodles
I recently had family in town and treated them to this delicious Crock Pot Baked Ziti.
Growing up, my mom always made lasagna for family gatherings but over the years, I have grown to enjoy Baked Ziti more than lasagna. So I guess you could say I am building upon my mom’s tradition and creating my own. :-)
What is your “go to” meal when you have company or a family gathering? Please share in the comments section below – I love to hear from you!
1. Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Crumble the beef as you cook it – until it’s no longer pink.
2. Mix in Italian Seasoning, Salt, and the sauce and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, all the ricotta and all of the parmesan cheese with 1 egg. (the egg isn’t a must if you don’t have any – although it will make the cheese creamier/easier to spread)
4. SPRAY your crock pot with Pam or another non-stick spray (trust me!)
5. Layer ingredients:
Layer 1: (Note: Step 1 and 2 combined make the sauce mix) Pour in 2 & 1/2 cups of sauce mix and spread evenly.
Layer 2: Sprinkle 2 cups of ziti noodles (uncooked) over the sauce mix.
Layer 3: Add half of the cheese mixture – drop in balls then carefully spread over noodles.
Layer 4: Pour in 2 & 1/2 cups of sauce mix and spread evenly.
Layer 5: Sprinkle the rest of the ziti noodles over the sauce mix.
Layer 6: Add the other half of the cheese mixture – Again, drop in balls then carefully spread over noodles.
Layer 7: Pour in the remaining sauce mix and be sure to cover all the ingredients.
6. Cover & Crock on LOW for 4 hours.
7. About 10 minutes before serving, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Serve after the cheese is melted.
* A tip on this recipe - The key is making sure you have enough sauce – if you are short, halve the recipe – without enough sauce this dish will be too dry!
Happy Crocking!
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Love,
Crock Pot Girl
Jenn Bare is the Crock Pot Girl and a busy Wife and Mother who enjoys spending time with her family instead of slaving away in the kitchen. She is also the author of the "Get Crocked: The Definitive Guide to Crockpot Cooking" and founder of GetCrocked.com, named the "#1 Slow Cooking Website" on the Web by "All Women's Talk."
9/13/12
Is there a way to print off your receipes individually (I do not see a ‘print’ icon to hit on to print up the receipe myself).
Thanks for your help & your wonderful esite,
Paula Jo Carr
dpcarr@bellsouth.net
Hello Paula, Thank you for your question! If you look on the website, and the recipe you are viewing there is a section that says: “Share and Enjoy”, and the print friendly icon is the first one in that section. Happy Crocking!
I made this last night and it was great. I expected the noodles to be a little soggy but they weren’t. Thanks crock pot girl!
This looks so good. I want to try it this week. Just one question. Where does the meat go in the layering? I don’t see it listed in any of the step.
Hello Julia! Thanks for the question, I will modify the recipe to make it clearer, but step 1 and 2 are mixed together, which makes this the sauce layer, and this first layer. Enjoy, and Happy Crocking!
I’m thinking about making this soon-have you tried this without the meat?
Ok I have a question I have to crock pots one kinda small has a high and low setting. The other is much bigger and has high, high med, med low, and low. It also has 4hrs,6hrs,8hrs, and 10 hrs. So if I put it on low will it cook in 4hrs.???
Thanks
Hi Jenny! Yes you would crock it on Low for 4 hours… thanks for the question and Happy Crocking!
This recipe looks great! But, a gallon of tomato sauce? Is that a misprint?
Hi Julie! It’s actually not a typo – this recipe makes a lot of ziti! You can easily half this recipe if you don’t need so much (about 10 servings). The sauce is important to make sure it doesn’t get too dry. If you make it, let me know how it turns out. Thanks & Happy Crocking!
Hi Jen- I found my crockpot bookmark! Great site. I too, like and cook in the Hamilton Beach. 2 questions – I am making this for a group of 12 women tomorrow. If I am offering other food (salad, prosciutto asparagus, charcuterie…) do you feel this recipe is enough? And can I substitute Mafalda instead of ziti? The boil time is 8 minutes. Thanks!
Thanks for posting and your nice comments! I am sure it will be enough for 12 women, as women tend not to eat as much as our men, and with your nice menu, they will be very pleased! Mafalda will work nicely with this recipe. It really doesn’t matter what pasta you use… your choice! Have a nice time tomorrow, and Happy Crocking!
Hi Jenn, I love your website! Quick question about this recipe, if I crock it on low for 8 to 9 hours will it be OK? I like to use my crock pot while I am at work, but I usually ride my bike to work and won’t be home for about 8 and half hours. Should I save this for a day I’m off? Thanks for your help, have a great day!
Hi Tim, I would not crock for 8-9 hours, as it will most likely be a bit mushy, so you should wait until you have a day off! But promise it won’t disappoint you… so YUMMY! Happy Crocking!
thank you! i will try this but without meat, as we keep kosher so we don’t mix meat and dairy. how long should i cook it if it’s without meat?
Estie, sorry for the delay in getting back to you, I had some technical difficulties…. Since it is only ground beef, the crocking time should remain the same as the recipes calls for. Happy Crocking!
This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing:) I am preparing this tonight for a group of teachers tomorrow. Could I prepare and put in refrigerator and then plug in tomorrow morning or must I prepare in the morning? THANKS!!!!