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by Gwen@SlowCookerKitchen.com · October 8, 2016 · Updated: December 16, 2017

5-Ingredient Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole

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Here's another crockpot Italian dish!  I tend to take moods on food.  Lately, it's been Italian.  And I have to say I was tickled when this Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole turned out so well!

Crockpot Meatball Ravioli

 

It's super easy too!  Only 5 dump and go ingredients...AND it takes about 2 minutes...AND it's an awesome freezer meal too.  So it's easy, delicious and filling.  Score the whole way around.  If you toss a decent salad on the side, you'll have it all rounded out.


In This Article (click headings to jump)

    • 0.1 Lasagna Ravioli Ingredients
    • 0.2 Slow Cooker Ravioli Casserole Laying Order
    • 0.3 Freezer Meal Note
    • 0.4 Slow Cooker Meatballs Ravioli Casserole Video (if you're not in the mood to read)...
    • 0.5 5-Ingredient Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole Printables
      • 0.5.1 Printable Recipe for 8
  • 1 5-Ingredient Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole
    • 1.1 Ingredients  1x2x3x
    • 1.2 Instructions 
      • 1.2.1 Twenty Minutes before Serving:
      • 1.2.2 Freezer meal directions:
      • 1.2.3 Printable Recipe for 4 to 6
  • 2 5-Ingredient Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole
    • 2.1 Ingredients  1x2x3x
    • 2.2 Instructions 
      • 2.2.1 20 to 30 minutes before serving:
      • 2.2.2 Add a side salad and buttered Italian bread to round out the meal
      • 2.2.3 Freezer meal directions:
    • 2.3 Crock Pot Meatballs & Ravioli "Pin It for Later"

Lasagna Ravioli Ingredients

I don't have this written in stone and I'm not saying you can't find other brands that will work well...but I've tried the generic and/or super cheap brands on meatballs.  They don't cook the same or have the same texture.  These were on sale, so I stocked up and YUM!Crockpot Ravioli

 

Now, I made up a huge batch of this stuff.  For several reasons honestly.  First, I'm on an Italian kick and wanted to eat it for a few nights.  Two, as previously mentioned, I got the meatballs on sale.  Three, a friend and I were doing freezer meals and stocking both our freezers.  Fourth, it makes an excellent freezer meal before or after being cooked.

Sooo...we made up a crockpot for 4 servings, 2 freezer meals for 1 plus a lunch and another freezer meal for 4...so 10 to 12 servings.  That's works if you need to feed a small army...which I'll be doing again soon.  Holidays, family, that sort of thing ya know 🙂

And with all that explained, that's why there are several printable options below.  For 4 or for 8.  All the printable recipes are just print the one that works best for you.

AND before I forget to mention it... unless you've done it before, I bet you are thinking "milk" in "Italian"??? Or something a little more vulgar.  I sure had that thought at first.  Trust me, MAKE IT.  Give it a shot...You. Will. LOVE. It.


Slow Cooker Ravioli Casserole Laying Order

This recipe is made for 4 servings.  Servings for 2 would work about the same.  for 6 to 8, I'd separate my layers a bit more so everything cooks well.  OR if you aren't worried about looks...toss in, stir to coat and cook it.

Your meatballs and ravioli need to have sauce, milk  and/or cheese covering/touching them to give them the right consistency after they are cooked.  So both methods work, it just behinds if you want to do "presentation" or not.Crock Pot Meatball Ravioli

  • Layer 1: 1/2 the pasta sauce
    • You need this 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch thick.
    • I'm not specifying an exact amount 'cause you're crockpot may or may not be the exact size and/or shape of mine.
    • I'm saying if you are making four servings then use about half
  • A layer of meatballs
  • One 16-ounce bag of ravioli
  • The milk & the last of the pasta sauce
  • The Italian cheese.
  • I used mixed Italian cheeses, I am sure most any would work, so use the one you prefer
    • The cheeses can be tossed in either when you start cooking or 20-30 minutes before serving; your choice

Freezer Meal Note

If you decide to do a freezer meal I'd separate the shredded cheese from the rest of the bag.  You can either toss the little bag into the big bag OR you can tape it on.  If you're into freezer meals there are just a couple essentials that make life 10 times easier.  One is freezer tape.  'Cause everything else looses its stick in the freezer... except high-quality duct tape and that's not always full proof, the freezer tape is great!  It holds stuff together, you can write on it AND it lasts for years in the cabinet so it won't go to waste...

And these baggie holders...Slow Cooker Meatballs & Ravioli

 

The make freezer meal cooking so much easier.  I've used that "take the bottom off the blender" method before but you can only do one bag at a time.  I bought these last year as a set of 6.  You don't have to get six anymore if you don't want.  You can just get one! or two or the whole 6.  My point is you aren't stuck with buying 6 if you don't want or need them.

I've experimented enough I can tell you 4 things about the bag holders without any doubts.

  1. The little green tabs on top are adjustable and slide to hold quart or gallon sized bags without slipping
  2. The fold flat and store well
  3. The clean up easily
  4. They are pretty dang durable.  Babies and pups alike.

I'm not telling you to buy them.  I'm telling you I am sorry I waited so long to buy them myself.  There are several people who'll be getting them this year for Christmas in my family too.  They are that good 🙂


Slow Cooker Meatballs Ravioli Casserole Video (if you're not in the mood to read)...


5-Ingredient Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole Printables

Printable Recipe for 8

Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole

5-Ingredient Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole

SlowCookerKitchen.com
Since your making a large quantity you'll want to make two sets of layers to make sure everything cooks properly. Downside: it takes a couple more minutes. Upside: the larger recipe cooks longer so you can cook it all day even if you have to be out for 8 hours.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 8 hrs
Total Time 8 hrs 5 mins
Servings 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 16 ounce packs frozen cheese ravioli
  • 1 45-ounce jar pasta sauce
  • 1 bag meatballs 45 to 55 count
  • 1 can of evaporated milk
  • 1 cup Italian cheese
  • Maybe a little bit of water if you'd like a runnier sauce

Instructions
 

  • Spray or oil your slow cooker insert
  • Pour a third of the pasta sauce over the bottom of the crockpot
  • Toss in half the frozen meatballs and pour half the evaporated milk over the top
  • Toss in half of the ravioli and repeat the layers you just completed
  • Pour the remaining sauce over the top
  • Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours hours

Twenty Minutes before Serving:

  • Sprinkle on the Italian cheeses
  • Cover and allow to melt
  • Serve with Italian bread and a side salad

Freezer meal directions:

  • Divide the ingredients evenly between two gallon sized bags, except for the shredded cheese
  • Put the cheese in a sandwich baggie. You can either tape it to the main bags or put it inside one of them, your choice.
  • Label and freeze up to 2 months
  • Allow to defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then cook according to the directions above
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Printable Recipe for 4 to 6

Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole

5-Ingredient Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole

SlowCookerKitchen.com
This recipe works out to be 4 smallish servings or 3 large. We both had skipped lunch the day I made this so we had 2 large dinners and a couple small lunches available
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 3 mins
Cook Time 6 hrs
Total Time 6 hrs 3 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1 16-ounce package frozen cheese ravioli
  • 1 to 1 1/2 jars of jar pasta sauce they range from 15 to 22 ounces
  • 1/2 bag meatballs you need 20-30 depending on size
  • 1/2 can of evaporated milk you can freeze the rest for later if you need to
  • 1/2 cup Italian cheeses
  • A little water if your sauce is thick

Instructions
 

  • Oil or spray the crockpot insert
  • Pour half the jar of pasta sauce in the bottom of the crockpot
  • Toss in the frozen meatballs and pour the evaporated milk over the top
  • Toss in the ravioli and pour the remaining sauce over the top
  • Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours

20 to 30 minutes before serving:

  • Sprinkle on the Italian cheese
  • Cover and allow to melt

Add a side salad and buttered Italian bread to round out the meal

    Freezer meal directions:

    • Toss all your ingredients except the shredded cheeses in a gallon sized bag
    • Place the cheese in a separate sandwich baggie and either tape it to the larger bag or place it inside it.
    • Allow the meal to defrost overnight in the refrigerator & then follow the directions listed above to cook (except you don't do layers)
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Crock Pot Meatballs & Ravioli "Pin It for Later"

    Crock Pot Meatball Ravioli
    Slow Cooker Meatballs & Ravioli
    Crockpot Ravioli & Meatballs
    Slow Cooker Meatballs & Ravioli

    Crockpot Meatballs and Ravioli

    « 5- Ingredient Slow Cooker Pot Roast
    Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kyla Fortune says

      February 20, 2018 at 12:30 pm

      5 stars
      Make sure to use 2 crockpot if you double the recipe. I didn't think about it and just threw it all in and oh my goodness. I don't think my crockpot has ever been this full!

      Reply
      • gwen says

        February 20, 2018 at 3:02 pm

        Oh, my. I guess I need to specify crockpot sizes better. I tend to forget to do that 🙁 I hope it turned out okay.

        Reply
        • Jesse says

          October 17, 2018 at 1:09 pm

          I just came across this recipe and would love to try it. I usually prepare a week's worth of lunch for my daughter who goes to college and this will be perfect -especially the "8 servings" version. Having said that, what is the size of the crockpot I need to use? I have 1 and I know it's a larger size but I'm not sure about its specific capacity. I have to look into it but I just want to make sure before I get another 1.
          Thank you!

          Reply
          • gwen says

            October 29, 2018 at 1:49 pm

            I can not remember if it was a 6 or 7 quart slow cooker. I am so sorry. I never wrote it down. It was the standard sized one available everywhere. And the slow cooker was VERY full. Like 1 to 1 1/2 inches from the top while the big batch was cooking.

            Reply
    2. Ann says

      June 16, 2019 at 4:16 pm

      Sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing at Party In Your PJs!

      Reply
      • gwen says

        June 17, 2019 at 12:03 pm

        Thanks 🙂 And thank you for having me too!

        Reply
    3. Vanessa says

      October 05, 2020 at 10:32 am

      I have homemade meatballs that I cooked and froze-can I use those and then freeze the meal again?? I was under the impression once cooked meat is frozen it cannot be refrozen

      Reply
      • Gwen says

        October 08, 2020 at 10:50 pm

        That is iffy in my book. I was always heard that you can freeze raw, then cook, then freeze again. But I have always been told not to refreeze cooked a second time, just as you said. NOW, does that mean I haven't? No. I have. Several times. Do I make a practice of it? No on that answer too. I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you. It is not recommended but I have done it myself. It's just a decision you have to make for yourself.

        Reply

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    Gwen@SlowCookerKitchen
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    Hi! I'm Gwen. And I have a confession to make. I now own 11 slow cookers & 4 pressure cookers. What started out as a necessity, turned into a mild obsession. And then into Slow Cooker Kitchen.
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