Crock Pot Baked Ziti

If you know me, you know that I love a good slow cooker dinner! Easy dinner ideas are my thing as I’d much rather be with my family out and about, than hanging out over the stove. Catch my drift? That’s why this Crockpot Baked Ziti recipe is perfect for busy parents!!

Crockpot Baked Ziti – Easy Dinner Idea

Could it be true that everything is better when made in a crock pot? All I know is that when dinner is done when I walk in the door, days are a lot easier, as are nights!  Because when momma’s happy everyone’s happy, am.I.right? Just ask my hubby, he’ll confirm this for sure!

I am a big believer that pasta and meat come together in a dish so perfectly, and it makes for an excellent dinner which is why I am loving this Crock Pot baked ziti with meat.

And, what’s best about both of these slow cooker recipes is that they’re literally dump and go, and then toss in the pasta at the last minute to cook – no strainers, no hot boiling water on the stovetop, no turning on the oven, nada. LOVE that!

** Please note: Some people prefer adding the pasta in already cooked. That is a great option too.

Here’s how I whip up this easy slow cooker baked ziti!

As far as prep goes, you’ll want to brown the ground beef, onion and garlic together in a large pan. Pretty standard, as far as Italian dishes go.

Starting out you’ll want to combine the ground beef/onion/garlic mixture, the diced tomatoes, basil, parsley, spaghetti sauce and chicken broth.

Let tis mixture cook on high for three hours to get some serious flavor. If you’ll be away from the kitchen for a longer amount of time, you could do low for 6 hours.

After the ingredients have had a chance to slow cook together, you’ll add in the Mostaccioli or Ziti noodles and let that cook up for about 20 minutes, give it a stir, cook for twenty minutes, give another stir. That’s all the stirring you’re going to do as you’ll top it with some mozzarella cheese, let that melt with the lid on for about 5 minutes and voila! Just like that, dinner is served!

** If you decide to add the noodles in last, boil them on the stovetop per the directions on the box (but only for about half the time), rinse, drain and add to Crock Pot mixture until the baked ziti is at the thickness you desire.

All of the marinated crockpot spaghetti sauce will soak up into the noodles and be absolutely delicious. Serve the crock pot baked ziti without ricotta with some cheesy, crusty garlic cheese bread and you’re golden. YUM!

This Crock Pot Baked Ziti smells delicious to come home to! If you need a recipe that you can go home and kick off your shoes (and it’s ready!) this is your meal!

Ingredients for this delicious Baked Ziti Slow Cooker recipe:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 2 1/2 cups pasta sauce
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups Mostaciolli Pasta (or Ziti)
• 1 cup shredded Mozzarella

Directions to make this Baked Ziti Crock Pot recipe:

• Combine ground beef, garlic and onion – Brown & drain.
• In a 4 quart crock pot combine the cooked ground beef mixture, basil, parsley, tomatoes, pasta sauce and chicken broth
• Cook this mixture on high three hours
• Add pasta to the crock pot, stir after 20 minutes, stir again after another 20 minutes (40 minutes cooking time for the pasta total)
• Keep the crock pot on high while the pasta is cooking.
• Add cheese to top, replace lid, let cheese melt
• Uncover lid, serve and enjoy!

To Make This Recipe Even Easier…Check These Kitchen Products Out

Dump-and-go dinners get even easier with the right gear on the counter. A few tools that make this ziti (and basically every weeknight pasta) less of a production:

MANNKITCHEN Stainless Steel Garlic PressSee price on AmazonSee on Amazon →

Browning the beef goes faster when you are using a “real” garlic press. This thing is expensive but worth it… This double-lever stainless steel mincer crushes multiple cloves at once with way less hand strain, and the cup-less design flips open so you can rinse it under the tap instead of picking bits out with your fingernail. Dishwasher safe. Built from 304 grade steel, so it’ll outlast the Crock Pot.

Cuisinart Food Processor 14See price on AmazonSee on Amazon →

Browning beef with onion and garlic goes a lot faster when you’re not crying over a cutting board. The 720-watt motor handles a whole onion in a few pulses, and the 14-cup bowl means you can prep enough mirepoix for a double batch of ziti without stopping to empty it. Slicing disc, shredding disc, and chopping blade all included. Dishwasher-safe, which matters on a weeknight.

All-Clad Stainless Steel Electric Slow Cooker 7-QuartSee price on AmazonSee on Amazon →

Seven quarts is enough slow cooker to feed a houseful of ziti without anyone scraping the sides. The cast aluminum insert with nonstick ceramic coating is the real sell here: brown your beef, onion, and garlic directly in it on the cooktop, then drop it into the base. One less pan to wash. LCD timer, four preset modes, keep-warm for six hours. Dishwasher-safe insert, too.

Can I use whole wheat pasta?

You sure can use whole wheat pasta! It will taste a little different than using white pasta, but it will be better for your body!

Do you have any other pasta Crock Pot recipes?

I sure do! We love the Crack Chicken Pasta as well as this Lazy Crock Pot Lasagna!

And, if it’s Crock Pot recipes that you have on the brain, I would definitely recommend this cheesy goulash, these crockpot french dip sandwiches and this chicken fettuccine alfredo crockpot recipe