Cooking Time:
4 hours on LowServings:
8-10
Ingredients
1 lb. 93% lean ground beef1 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 Slow Cooker 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!
- Cook ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Crumble the beef as you cook it – until it’s no longer pink.
- Mix in Italian Seasoning, Salt, and the sauce and set aside.
- 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)
- SPRAY your 6 quart slow cooker with non-stick spray or use a slow cooker liner (trust me!)
- 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.
Cover & Crock on Low for 4 hours.
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!
For over 400 more recipes, click here for the GetCrocked eBook.
XOXO.
Jenn
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!
64 ounces is half a gallon, not a full one.
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!!!!
Can you double this in one crock pot or do you need two crock pots? Any change to layering if you double it in one crock pot?
Thanks.
Martha it depends on the size of the crock pot… If you double it, make sure the crock pot is large enough and no more than 3/4 full. It should be done in the same length of time, but I would certainly check it first. Thanks for the question, and Happy Crocking!
Can you cook on HIGH for 2 hours?
You can Mallory, but the key to this recipe is the slow cooking, but if you need it sooner, I would certainly give it a try. Thanks for the question and Happy Crocking!
This is a really good recipe which I made yesterday. I had to fudge on it a bit. I cut the recipe in half because it’s just my hubby and me and I didn’t want a lot of leftovers. I thought my spaghetti sauce was in a 32 oz. jar, but it was only 24 oz. I didn’t have anymore sauce so I scrounged through the fridge and found V-8 vegetable juice, so I added 8 oz. of that. I also added about 2 TBSP of fresh minced garlic because I love garlic and it’s good for you. I had… Read more »
Kristie thanks for posting, sometimes we just have to make do, don’t we! Glad your Ziti was a success. Happy Crocking!
Hi! Looks delish! I would really like to make this for tonight. Since mine would only be for 2 people, would you recommend just simply halving the recipe? Also, would I alter the cooking time? I’m the worst cook ever so I always need to ask questions…
Hi Danielle – this recipe does make a lot so yes, I would cut the recipe in half. Just use a smaller sized crock (~4 quart should be okay) and you can keep the cooking time the same. Happy Crocking!
Hi Danielle, if you don’t want left overs, I would halve the recipe. The cooking time will be the same, but the key is that the slow cooker needs to be 1/2 – 2/3 full to crock properly, so it also depends on the size of your slow cooker. Hope this helps, and Happy Crocking!
hi! im loving your site btw. but my question is have you ever used ground turkey or ground chicken in place of the ground meat? and if not which would you think tastes better? tx!
Hi Lisa, yes I have used both, and I prefer ground turkey, but really would be what you and your family like the best. Happy Crocking!
Can this be done with mozzarella instead of ricotta? Not fans of ricotta in this house.
Morgan that is the fun of cooking, you can make things the way you like them…. Happy Crocking!
You can try cottage cheese in place of ricotta. Small curd cottage cheese has a similar consistency to ricotta but with a different flavor.
This has become one of my family’s favorite recipes! I add a little garlic and basil to the ricotta mix but other than that I wouldn’t change a thing! Comes out so nice and creamy!
Would lasagna noodles work the same for this recipe to make Lasanga Crockpot ?? ☺
Giovanna you could also use my recipe for Crock Pot Lasagna… This is just one of several I have on my site: http://www.getcrocked.com/2013/01/04/crock-pot-easy-lasagna/
i purchased you ebook on tuesday but when i tried to download it to my tablet i got an error saying i had exceeded my limit. I do not understand, should i have printed it instead of optrying to download again
Deb I will send you a copy via e-mail, as it sounds like your tablet was having difficulty downloading, due to the size of the document. Please look for the e-book in your e-mail. Happy Crocking!
Looking to try this for the first time. I was curious if anyone tried this without meat? Would I have to have a substitute for the meat or can I just leave it out?
Nikki if you want this meatless you can just leave it out! Happy Crocking, and everyone would love to hear how it turned out without the meat.
Your recipes could use a “pin it” button for Pinterest. I see how to follow you there, but it’s not the same as having the button to click for easy pinning.
Donna we are on Pinterest! The “Pin It Button” is right under each picture on my website at getcrocked.com. Enjoy and “PIN” away!
Can you freeze any leftovers?
Absolutely Jennifer!
I am looking for a way to incorporate whole wheat pasta in a way that tastes good. Anyone try with this? I’m trying to be more health conscious but can’t seem to get over the taste of WW noodles vs. regular. Thanks.
Nancy it will work… Happy Crocking!
I’m trying this recipe for the first time. I accidentally only put 1 1/2 cup of sauce at bottom and it was to late by the time I realized it. It should still be fine right?
It should be fine Colleen… you might want to check it a little early to make sure.
This was absolutely FANTASTIC! The whole family loved it. I added some leftover sweet italian sausage to the sauce which added some more flavor. Been passing this one on to all my family and friends. Thank you!
I use this recipe exact recipe (omit egg) when I bake lasagna. The layering is also the same, and uncooked lasagna noodles. Very easy to make too! I will try your recipe today with the crock pot. I’m thinking perhaps adding well drained spinach for added nutritional value. What do you think? Thanks for sharing!! 😉
Hi! This sounds great. I was wondering what size Crockpot you use? I cant wait to try it!
Celia
Hi Celia – I use a 7-quart slow cooker for this recipe. Thanks for your question & Happy Crocking!
Hello, this fits perfectly in my Hamilton Beach Stay or Go Crockpot. I bought 2 45oz jars of sauce and used 1 & 1/2 jars in the recipe. The remaining sauce was consumed freshening up the leftovers. PS, I also added a little Italian style chicken sausage cut into coins. PPS, I didn’t divide the cheese mixture very well. Used too much on the first layer and didn’t have quite enough for the 2nd layer. Not to worry, I had bought extra shredded mozzarella and rounded off the 2nd layer with that. Luckily, Italian cooking is very forgiving! Love this… Read more »
Ok. This was delish….but….don’t try and put this on high to get done faster…just an fyi…
This will be great with bell peppers yellow and red….yum!!!!
This was PERFECTION! So freakin good and that is saying a lot as I am not a pasta lover! Great stuff-thanks so much:)
I bought the app for my iPad but can’t scroll thru receipts so I have to come to the websit can you fix it so I can use the app?
Dana, thank you for your feedback, and we currently have a update with both Apple and Android, which should get a fix for this issue, please watch for the update. Thank you for your patience.
Can this be made with whole wheat noodles?
Hi Deb – Yes, you can make with wheat noodles. Thanks & Happy Crocking!
Looking forward to trying this recipe tonight! Also, I bought your e-cookbook and keep getting an error message on my tablet about exceeding my limit. Not sure what’s going on. Can you help? Thanks for all the great recipes on your website. Looking forward to the cookbook!
I am happy to send to your via e-mail, but you should check and see if you have the capacity on your tablet, that is something I can not help you with? 🙁
It shows there is plenty of room left. Could you please send it to me via email? Thanks a bunch!
Can I ommit the Ricotta..my family does not care for it..any suggestions?? Perhaps do more mozerella?
Absolutely Rashell… make the recipe your own, and make it the way you and your family will love it. Happy Crocking!
I want to make this recipe for a party for about
30 people, there will be other for and a white
pasta dish how much should I make? I have a
6 quart new crock pot that has the 4-10 hours,
and hi and low, but the only thing is that
for the low setting it only works for 8-10 hours,
4-6 is high setting. Don’t know what setting
to use. My other crock pot is a lot older with
just a hi- low setting it’s probably a 3 quart.
Should I use both? Thanks!
Hi Rhonda, For 30 people, you will need a couple large slow cookers. You will want to make this on low as directed, so you will want to set your low setting (even for 8 hours) but I would set a kitchen timer for 4 hours to turn it off. Another suggestion would be to use a wall timer to turn it off after the 4 hours. A rule of thumb is for a slow cooker to crock properly, you should only fill it to 1/2 – 2/3 full. With that said you may be able to use the two… Read more »
Can I make this recipe ahead and refrigerate, even though the pasta is not pre-cooked?
Hey Teresa, I usually have leftovers when I make this, so I refrigerate for leftovers, and it is always very good! ENJOY!
Oops! Let me try again… Can I put ingredients together in the crock pot the night before and refrigerate, then cook the next day? I wasn’t sure how the pasta would be if I did this.
My family loved it! It was even better the next day. This will definitely be one of my “go to” recipes.
It was good, but just FYI, it makes A LOT. We only have 3 in our house so I froze some of it.
This is one of my family’s all-time favorite recipes! I make it with Morningstar Grillers veggie crumbles instead of meat and don’t bother cooking it before mixing it in with the sauce. I also use two jars of sauce instead of 3, and don’t put cheese on top. It always is exceptional and great for work/school lunches the next day!
[…] Dishes for your Crock Pot: Green Chili Pork Easy Crock Pot Ziti Cola Chicken Best Ever Italian Beef Maple […]
I have made this before & loved it! My question is this…Can you put everything together the night before & place in the fridge for next day crocking? I am having a large group over to my house after my son’s baptism. I was hoping to pull it out of the fridge, place in crock for 4 hours and then have it be ready after church. Is this possible?
You can Marianna, but you will want to set the crock out for about an hour to let it warm up a bit before putting it in the slow cooker, as it may crack the crock. Hope this helps, and Happy Crocking! Enjoy!
Running late, don’t have time to go through comments, sorry if someone already asked— if I don’t want meat do I have to do anything different? cook time?
No you should crock the recipe the same! You should be fine! 🙂
Hello-Can I double this recipe for one 6/7 quart crock pot?
Will this work with gluten free pasta?
Can you do all preparation and mixing the day before and leave uncooked in refrigerator overnight and cook in Crock-Pot next day?
Hi Vickie, you can prep the day before, and put in the next day! If you refrigerate your ingredients in your crock, you would want to let it sit out for about one hour to warm up the crock before putting it in your slow cooker. Otherwise it is possible that your crock will crack. Enjoy and Happy Crocking!