Easy Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

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!

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 6 quart slow cooker with non-stick spray or use a slow cooker liner  (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.

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