Crock Pot Ravioli

If there is one thing my husband and I can never get enough of- it's ravioli, or any cheese stuffed pasta, for that matter. Although I've made tortellini and ravioli from scratch before, most of the time for convenience sake, I like to get the fresh or frozen kind at the grocery store instead. This is a simple and delicious recipe I stumbled across the other day. With our busy schedules, it was nice to have something to throw in the slow cooker, and then know that supper was covered when I got off work. I added a few of my own twists, but the end product was nearly the same as the original recipe I found on The Nest. The original recipe made 10 servings, which I reduced so that my husband and I would only have leftovers for the next day instead of all week!

Cheesy Ravioli Casserole

Makes: 5 servings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 shallot, chopped (optional)

1 jar four cheese-flavored tomato pasta sauce

1 small can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

various Italian seasonings (such as oregano, basil, etc.)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 package frozen beef or cheese-filled pasta

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)

Parmesan cheese

1. Spray 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In Dutch oven or 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Cook onion and garlic in oil about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender. Stir in pasta sauce, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and your choice of Italian seasonings.

2. Place 1 cup of the sauce mixture in slow cooker. Add 1/2 the package of frozen ravioli; top with 1 cup of the cheese. Top with remaining package of ravioli and 1 cup cheese. Pour remaining sauce mixture over top. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and oregano on top.

3. Cover and cook on low heat setting 3 to 4 hours or until hot.