Recipes

[Sapphiregal]

I'm looking for a good ziti or rigatoni pasta dish that can be made in a crock pot. Seems like I saw one once that you just layered the dry pasta with your favorite spaghetti sauce, cooked hamburger meat, and mozzarella cheese on top. Might have been more ingridients than that, though. Also, I wonder if just the sauce would be enough liquid to fully cook the pasta.  

[butterfly123]

@Sapphiregal 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 8 oz block cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 2 24 oz jars spaghetti sauce divided use
• 1 jar water
• 1 16 oz box cavatappi pasta
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Brown and crumble ground beef (season with salt and pepper.) Drain excess grease and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, minced garlic and parsley.
• In the bottom of a 6 quart (or larger) slow cooker, add half a jar of spaghetti sauce.
• Evenly layer half the box of the cavatappi pasta on top of sauce.
• Pour remaining jar of spaghetti sauce over noodles.
• Pour on half a jar of water.
• Then layer half the cooked ground beef mixture over top.
• Dollop the entire cream cheese mixture evenly as possible over the beef layer. Do not stir.
• Evenly layer the rest of the cavatappi pasta on top of the cream cheese layer.
• Top with remaining jar spaghetti sauce
• Pour another half jar of water on top of spaghetti sauce.
• Finally, layer the rest of the cooked ground beef on top.
• Cover and cook on low for about 3-4 hours.
• Stir mixture, then layer with 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Cover for an additional 15-20 minutes (until cheese is melted.)

[butterfly123]

Slow Cooker Three Cheese Ziti

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time2 hrs

Total Time2 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients

• 2 24 ounce jars marinara pasta sauce
• 16 ounces tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 16 ounces UNCOOKED ziti pastas (or penne)
• 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves , chopped
• 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

• Add cream cheese, sour cream and ricotta to a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixers until smooth. Stir in garlic and basil.
• In a large bowl, combine both jars of pasta sauce, tomato sauce and water.
• Add 2 cups of sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker
• Top with about ⅓ of the uncooked penne.
• Dot on half of the ricotta mixture and use a spoon to gently spread it out evenly. Top with 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.
• Add another 2 cups of sauce. Top with ⅓ of the uncooked penne. Add remaining ricotta mixture and spread. Sprinkle on the remaining 3/4 cup parmesan cheese.
• Add the remaining uncooked penne. Top with the remaining sauce.
• Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, or LOW for 3 1/3 -4 hours or until pasta is tender.
• During the last few minutes, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese to the top, and return the lid of the machine to allow it to melt. After mine melted I stuck it under the broiler of my oven for 2 minutes to make the cheese golden and bubbly, but you don’t have to!

Notes

Be sure the ziti noodles are covered by the sauce so they cook appropriately.

[ahoymate]

Might give Meredith's website a look. She has great recipes that do work & are very tasty.

https://mailchi.mp/bluejeanchef.com/theres-a-chart-for-that?e=d9b4d96729

[godi]

I second @ahoymate   response. Meredith has great recipes.