Description
Slow Cooker Baked Ziti is the ultimate comfort food, perfect for busy weeknights or gatherings with family and friends. This hearty dish combines savory ground beef or turkey with rich tomato sauce, layered with tender pasta and gooey mozzarella cheese. With minimal preparation time, simply sauté your meat and onions, combine the ingredients in the slow cooker, and let it do the work for you. Ideal for make-ahead meals, this baked ziti can easily be customized with various vegetables or additional seasonings to suit your taste. Gather around the table and enjoy this delicious, satisfying meal that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 small onion (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 16 ounces uncooked ziti pasta
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Italian seasonings and spices
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground beef or turkey and sauté until browned. Add chopped onion and cook until translucent; stir in minced garlic.
- Transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and water; mix well.
- Cover and cook on high for about 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
- Stir in uncooked ziti pasta, pressing down to submerge it in the sauce. Cover and continue cooking on high for an additional 15–25 minutes until pasta is tender.
- Once cooked, sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours (high) or 6 hours (low)
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 19g
- Cholesterol: 55mg