Description
Million dollar ravioli casserole delivers pure comfort straight from your kitchen to the dinner table. Creamy cheese, hearty meat sauce, and tender pasta layers make this crowd-pleasing dish a total winner for family gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 lb ground beef
Cheeses:
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
Supporting Ingredients:
- 1 package (25 oz) frozen or fresh cheese ravioli
- 1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grab a large mixing bowl to combine 1 cup ricotta, ½ cup sour cream, 4 oz softened cream cheese, 1 beaten egg, ¼ cup chopped parsley, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp black pepper until your mixture is completely smooth.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown 1 lb ground beef with 1 small finely chopped onion and 2 minced garlic cloves for 6-7 minutes, breaking the meat into small crumbles.
- Pour 24 oz marinara sauce into the skillet with your browned meat and reduce heat to low, letting the sauce simmer for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Spread ½ cup marinara sauce across the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Arrange one layer of 25 oz frozen cheese ravioli across the sauce, ensuring they are slightly overlapping.
- Spread your entire ricotta mixture evenly over the ravioli layer, creating a thick, creamy coating.
- Pour the remaining meat sauce completely over the ricotta layer, making sure to cover every inch.
- Sprinkle 2 cups shredded mozzarella and ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese across the top of the casserole.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 375°F for 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes until cheese turns golden and edges are bubbling.
- Remove from oven and let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving to help it set properly.
Notes
- Chill the ricotta mixture for 30 minutes before assembling to help it set and blend flavors more effectively.
- Use fresh pasta ravioli instead of frozen for a more tender texture and richer taste in the casserole.
- For a lighter version, swap ground beef with ground turkey and use part-skim cheeses to reduce overall calories.
- Let the casserole rest 10-15 minutes after baking so the layers can settle and make cutting and serving easier.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Casseroles
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5 to 6
- Calories: 600 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg