Crockpot to the rescue! Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

One of our most used wedding presents has to be our Rival Crockpot.  It is now 22 years old and still going strong.  And let's not forget the greatest invention for the Crockpot....Crockpot Liners!  They make cleanup so easy and fast.  And they come with great recipes too.

Crockpot meals are those great "go to meals" when you are crunched for time.  There is nothing like walking into the house after a long day of work and picking up the kids from their obligations and smelling the delicious meal ready and waiting for you.   This recipe is an easy one and one of the kids favorite.  OK,  anything with a noodle involved is my son's favorite.

Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

 

Ingredients

1 Reynolds® Slow Cooker Liner

1 pound ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 jars (about 25 oz. each) pasta sauce

1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 (16 oz.) box ziti pasta, uncooked

Prep

Open  slow cooker liner and place it inside a 5- to 6 1/2-quart slow cooker bowl. Fit liner snugly against the bottom and sides of bowl; pull top of liner over rim of bowl.

Next brown the  ground beef and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer pink. Stir in seasoning to evenly coat meat and onions. Stir in pasta sauce. Set aside.

Mix  1 cup mozzarella cheese, the ricotta and Parmesan in a medium bowl.

Spoon 2 cups of the meat sauce into the lined-slow cooker; top with 2 cups uncooked ziti pasta. Drop half of the cheese mixture, by rounded tablespoons, over pasta; carefully spread over pasta using back of spoon. Layer with 2 cups meat sauce, the remaining pasta and the remaining cheese mixture. Top with the remaining meat sauce, completely covering all the pasta and cheese mixture. Place lid on slow cooker and
cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or until noodles are tender.

Carefully remove lid to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle food with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese; let stand 10 minutes until melted. Serve food directly from lined-slow cooker. Do not lift or transport liner with food inside. Cool slow cooker completely; remove liner and toss.