Crock Pot Baked Ziti
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This week’s Crock Pot Baked Ziti recipe is my first crock pot recipe made with uncooked pasta in a slow cooker. Traditional Baked Ziti is one of our favorite family meals.
Baked Ziti is one of the few recipes that everyone in my family loves. I know when I make Baked Ziti I am not going to hear any complaints when I get asked whats for dinner. I’m enjoying converting some of my favorite family recipes to crock pot recipes.
Cooking Baked Ziti in the crock pot is pretty much the same as baking it in the oven but there are a few differences. The first is there is no need to dirty a pot to boil the ziti pasta. YES! The uncooked pasta cooks in the crockpot very well.
The second and major difference between Baked Ziti in the oven and Crock Pot Baked Ziti is that you avoid heating up the kitchen using the oven.
Summer will be here before you know it and cooking in the crock pot is a great way to save on cooling expenses during the hot summer months. I know our air conditioner strains during the summer months when the temperatures are in the high nineties.
How to Make Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Ingredients
- 2 – 1 lb blocks whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 2 lbs uncooked ziti pasta
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 – 45-ounce jar sauce
- 32-ounce ricotta cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Directions
- Turn the crock pot on high and spray with cooking spray or wipe down the inside with oil. This will help with clean up.
- In a large pot brown the ground beef.
- Drain the ground beef and return it to the pot. If you like to add onions or peppers add them to the pan and cook with the ground beef.
- Pour the sauce over the meat and mix well.
- Remove the pot from the heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl beat the egg. Add the ricotta cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper and mix well. Set aside.
- Cut the mozzarella cheese into small cubes. You could also use bagged shredded mozzarella cheese but the whole milk blocks have a much better flavor.
- Begin layering the ingredients into the crock pot starting with the meat sauce.
- On top of the sauce add a layer of ziti pasta.
- Add another layer of sauce over the pasta.
- Spread a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture over the sauce.
- Add a layer of mozzarella cubes.
- Continue layering the ingredients until you run out of ingredients ending with a final layer of mozzarella cheese.
- Place the lid on the crock pot and cook for 3-4 hours on high or until the ziti pasta is cooked through.
- Serve with a salad and garlic bread.
Crock Pot Baked Ziti
Keep the house cool and enjoy dinner with this Crock Pot Baked Ziti recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6-8
- Category: Crock Pot
- Cuisine: Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 – 1 lb blocks whole milk mozzarella cheese
- 2 lbs uncooked ziti pasta
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 45 ounce jar sauce
32 ounce ricotta cheese- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Turn crock pot on high.
- Brown the ground beef and drain.
- Return the ground beef to the pan and pour sauce over, mix well and remove from heat.
- In a bowl beat the egg.
- Mix the ricotta cheese, parsley, salt and pepper into the egg.
- Cut mozzarella cheese into small cubes.
- Spray a
6 quart crock pot with cooking spray. - Ladle about 1 1/2 cups of sauce and meat into the bottom of the crock pot and spread evenly over the bottom.
- Spread a layer of ricotta cheese over the sauce.
- Add a layer of ziti pasta and spread over the ricotta cheese evenly.
- Spread a layer of sauce and meat over the pasta.
- Repeat layering the pasta, sauce, ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese until you have filled the crock pot or run out of ingredients being sure to end with a layer of mozzarella cheese as the final layer.
- Place the cover on the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours or until the pasta is cooked through.
- Avoid removing the cover of the crock pot during the cooking time.
For more easy crock pot recipes check out my Crock Pot Recipes page, where you will find 140+ Crock Pot Recipes I have shared.
For more Crock Pot Recipes like this easy Crock Pot Baked Ziti recipe check out my Crock Pot Recipe Page featuring over 90 crock pot recipes!
Kathy Lagnese says
It doesnt say, is the pasta cooked or uncooked?
Arlene Mobley says
Kathy
The pasta is uncooked.
Toni says
What cooks the ziti? Is it the moisture from the cheese?
Arlene Mobley says
Toni
It is a combination of the moisture from the cheese, sauce and condensation that forms on the inside of the crock pot and drips into the crock pot as it cooks.
Toni says
Ok, thank you. I’m making it tonight. 🙂
Susan Broughton says
What is that side dish that you are showing with the recipe photo? It looks delicious, do you by chance have the recipe for it?
Arlene Mobley says
Susan
I have been meaning to write the recipe for that little salad but haven’t yet. It is a simple avocado, tomato and cucumber salad. I slice 1 avocado into chunks, one tomato, removing the seeds from the tomato, half a cucumber, salt and pepper to taste with about 1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise. Sometimes I add a little bit of sliced onion.
Courtney says
Yay I was just about to ask as well! Definitely making it with the ziti!
Judith says
Can ground turkey be substituted for ground turkey in the baked ziti? Will this work in a 4 quart crockpot?
Arlene Mobley says
Yes Judith you could use ground turkey instead of ground beef.
Becky says
Thank you for the crockpot recipes! So helpful when you are working everyday!
Arlene Mobley says
So glad I can help make dinner time easier for you Becky. I love my crock pot!