What Can I Add to Store Bought Cheese Ravioli
I first tried this recipe when I was pregnant with Spencer and I was looking for freezer-friendly meals that I could stash away for the crazy newborn days. It has now become a staple in our house because it's one of those perfect meals for busy parents. With just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep, my Dump-and-Bake Ravioli Casserole is an easy dinner recipe that the whole family will love!
How to Make Ravioli Casserole | 1-Minute Video
This recipe was originally published on the blog way back in October of 2013, but I have continued to tweak it over the years and I finally got around to taking some updated photos. So here we go again -- giving some new life to the very first dump-and-bake recipe that I ever shared!
I'm not kidding you when I say that this is seriously the easiest way to cook dinner! You just assemble a lasagna-style dish using FROZEN ravioli -- you don't even have to thaw them first!
And with only 4 ingredients necessary for the ravioli casserole, it's a meal that you can throw together with pantry (or freezer) staples when you don't have anything else planned on the menu! Great for those hectic nights when you don't want to make another stop at the grocery store.
Here's the quick and easy 5-minute preparation for a Dump-and-Bake Ravioli Casserole:
Start by spreading a very thin layer of marinara sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish (about 9 x 13 inches).
Top the sauce with half of your frozen ravioli. I use a basic cheese ravioli from the freezer section at my local grocery store, but you can substitute with your favorite brand and filling.
Next, top the ravioli with about half of your remaining marinara sauce and sprinkle with half of your mozzarella cheese.
After another layer of ravioli, sauce, mozzarella, and a sprinkling of Parmesan, cover the dish with foil and pop it in the oven for 20 minutes.
You'll want to remove the foil for the final 20 minutes or so, which allows some of the liquid to bake off and the cheese to get crispy and browned on top. It's ravioli casserole perfection!
How to Assemble the Ravioli Casserole for the Freezer:
You can prep this dinner in advance and keep it stashed in the freezer until you're ready to bake it! To do so, simply follow the recipe instructions through step 5. Cover tightly with foil and freeze the unbaked casserole for up to 3 months.
When you're ready to serve it, pull it out of the freezer and bake as instructed. You might need to add a few more minutes to the cooking time, but just keep your eye on it and make sure that it's heated through before serving. This is definitely a must-have in every mom's recipe file!
Serving Suggestions
Serve the baked ravioli with any of your favorite Italian-inspired sides. Here are a few options that go well with the casserole:
- Garlic breadsticks, garlic bread, homemade focaccia, or a crusty loaf of no-knead Dutch oven bread
- Green salad dressed with balsamic vinaigrette or Caesar salad
- Roasted broccoli or asparagus
- Sauteed asparagus
- 2-ingredient Italian sugar snap peas
- Sauteed spinach with garlic
Recipe Variations and Tips for the Best Ravioli Casserole Recipe
- Add spinach for some extra veggies in the dish.
- Instead of the vegetarian ravioli casserole, appeal to meat-lovers with some browned Italian sausage or ground beef in the sauce.
- If you're serving a smaller family (or cooking just for 2), cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the casserole in an 8-inch square pan. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same, although you may be able to shorten the total baking time by a few minutes.
- Prepare two smaller casseroles in 8-inch square pans. Bake one now, and freeze the second for a later meal!
- Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
More Ravioli Recipes to Try
- Shrimp with Ravioli
- Ravioli Casserole with Alfredo Sauce and Chicken
- Crockpot Ravioli Casserole
- Ravioli and Meatball Casserole
Dump-and-Bake Ravioli Casserole
This easy Dump-and-Bake Ravioli Casserole is a quick dinner with just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep!
Course Dinner
Cuisine Italian
Keyword freezer meal, ravioli, vegetarian dinner
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 398 kcal
- 24 oz. package frozen cheese ravioli
- 23 oz. (or about 2.5 cups) marinara sauce
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
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Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray a 9-inch by 13-inch baking dish (or two 8-inch dishes) with cooking spray.
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Pour a very thin layer of marinara sauce into the prepared baking dish to cover bottom (about ½ cup).
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Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce.
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Top with half of the remaining marinara sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese.
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Repeat layers once, starting with ravioli. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
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Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake, uncovered, for 20-25 more minutes or until bubbly and hot in center. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
- Add spinach for some extra veggies in the dish.
- Instead of the vegetarian ravioli casserole, appeal to meat-lovers with some browned Italian sausage or ground beef in the sauce.
- If you're serving a smaller family (or cooking just for 2), cut all of the ingredients in half and prepare the casserole in an 8-inch square pan. The rest of the cooking instructions remain the same, although you may be able to shorten the total baking time by a few minutes.
- Prepare two smaller casseroles in 8-inch square pans. Bake one now, and freeze the second for a later meal!
- Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Recipe modified from Tasty Kitchen.
Serving: 1 /6 of the casserole | Calories: 398 kcal | Carbohydrates: 40 g | Protein: 22.1 g | Fat: 16.5 g | Saturated Fat: 8.2 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4 g | Cholesterol: 52.6 mg | Sodium: 989.9 mg | Potassium: 4.5 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 7.3 g
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What Can I Add to Store Bought Cheese Ravioli
Source: https://www.theseasonedmom.com/ravioli-casserole/