Description
This Ravioli Lasagna Casserole is a delicious and easy-to-make comfort food that combines layers of tender frozen ravioli, savory ground beef, rich spaghetti sauce, and gooey mozzarella cheese. Perfect for a family dinner, this casserole bakes up bubbly and cheesy, offering all the flavors of classic lasagna with a quick and fuss-free twist.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat Mixture
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Sauce and Cheese
- 24 ounces jar spaghetti sauce, divided
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese, divided
Pasta
- 16 ounces square frozen ravioli
Garnish
- Chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Cook Ground Beef: In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef along with the minced garlic, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Continue to cook until the beef is fully browned and cooked through. Drain any excess fat to keep the dish from becoming greasy.
- Add Sauce to Beef: Reserve 1 cup of the spaghetti sauce and set aside for later use. Add the remaining spaghetti sauce to the browned ground beef in the skillet, stir to combine, and heat through until hot.
- Prepare Baking Dish: Lightly spray an 8×8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread ½ cup of the reserved spaghetti sauce evenly over the bottom of the dish to prevent sticking and add flavor.
- First Layering: Place one-third of the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce. Next, top the ravioli with half of the ground beef mixture evenly spread out.
- Add Cheese and Second Layer of Ravioli: Sprinkle ½ cup of mozzarella cheese over the beef. Then, layer another one-third of the ravioli over the cheese in a single layer.
- Second Meat Layer: Top this second layer of ravioli with the remaining half of the ground beef mixture.
- More Cheese and Final Ravioli Layer: Sprinkle another ½ cup of mozzarella cheese over the beef. Place the final one-third of ravioli on top to complete the layers.
- Top with Sauce and Cheese: Spread the remaining ½ cup of reserved spaghetti sauce over the top layer of ravioli. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese evenly over everything.
- Bake: Bake the casserole in the preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted, golden, and the casserole is bubbly around the edges.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the casserole from the oven and optionally garnish with chopped parsley before serving hot.
Notes
- To store leftovers, refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- For longer storage, freeze leftovers and reheat in the microwave before serving.
- You can customize the recipe by using different types of ravioli (cheese, spinach, meat) to vary the flavor.
- Make sure to drain excess fat from the ground beef to avoid a greasy casserole.
- Use a baking dish size of 8×8 inches as specified for best layering and cooking results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximately 1/8 of casserole)
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
