Beefy Baked Ravioli: An Easy Fake-Out Lasagna
This fake-out lasagna is a dinnertime favorite in my home. Beefy Baked Ravioli is very easy to make too! It’s super filling and makes a great beef freezer meal. My kids love it.
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Since my grass-fed, organic beef was delivered a few weeks ago, I’ve been thumbing through some “oldies but goodies” beef recipes and came upon Beefy Baked Ravioli. This recipe is one that my freezer club–that’s my small group of friends who cook and swap healthy freezer meals for each other once a month–has been making for years. I don’t know a man, woman or child alive who wouldn’t like this lasagna of sorts.
What Makes Beefy Baked Ravioli a Winner Dinner
There are several things I think you’ll love about this recipe, besides that it’s comfort food at its best…
1 – Using the cheese ravioli enables you to skip the ricotta cheese/egg mixture step which saves time and mess. I buy the fresh or dried cheese ravioli at Trader Joe’s because there are no additives or preservatives unlike many of the frozen varieties. The ingredients are simple, pantry ingredients that you likely already have.
2 – You can easily transform Beefy Baked Ravioli into a cheaper, easier, and vegetarian meal by leaving out the meat and adding in some chopped spinach, thus making it similar to my Spinach Lasagna Roll-Ups. You might need to rename it, though. 🙂
3 – It makes a great freezer meal!! That means it’s easy to make in bulk for your own family or to share with a friend, neighbor, or new mom who could benefit from a meal.
How to Make Beefy Baked Ravioli a Freezer Meal
Turning this recipe into a freezer meal is a cinch. Simple follow the cooking instructions right up until the point you bake it but STOP. DON’T BAKE IT! Wrap it tightly and freeze it for up to 6 months (even longer if you are able to package it correctly.) When you want to make it, use one of our safe thawing instructions to prepare it.
It may have to thaw in the fridge for 24-48 hours. Baking time may take longer because it will be so cold, so factor in another 20-30 minutes to the cooking timeBoom, you now have a fabulous ground beef freezer meal ready to roll on a busy night.
How to Assemble Beefy Baked Ravioli
Like to see things before you do them? Here is a layout of the steps you’ll be doing to make this yummy dinner.
Here’s a shot of our Beefy Baked Ravioli after we devoured most of it for dinner…
What Storage Container to Freeze Beefy Baked Ravioli In
We recommend using a freezer-friendly, resealable glass container or dish. While it may be easier to buy the disposable plastic containers, it really makes sense to stock up on some quality, safe dishes that you can bake AND store in. After searching long and hard, here are the freezer storage containers we recommend. We both have collected a huge stash of them over the years!
A Short Video on How to Make Beefy Baked Ravioli
Make life simpler with this easy, fake-out lasagna tonight. Your family will thank you for this one.
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This fake-out lasagna is a dinner time favorite in my home. Very easy to make, super filling and is freezer friendly. My kids love this meal!
Ingredients
- 25 ounces fresh or frozen cheese ravioli
- olive oil or avocado oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb lean ground beef (preferably grass-fed, organic)
- 1/2 lb pork sausage (here’s where we get ours from)
- 2 (24-28 ounce) jars marinara sauce (or 6 cups Homemade Marinara Sauce)
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups shredded Italian mix cheese (or more shredded mozzarella)
- grated Parmesan cheese, optional for serving
*Note: Our original recipe called for 1 can (15 ounce) crushed Italian tomatoes, but in further tests we found it to be too saucy. We removed this ingredient.
Instructions
Make It Now:
- If using frozen ravioli, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the ravioli according to package instructions, just until al dente. (Note: If using fresh ravioli from the refrigerator section, skip this step. No need to cook it in advance.)
- While the ravioli cooks, preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 inch pan (or two 8×8 inch pans) with cooking spray.
- Drain the ravioli in a colander, gently toss with a little oil to keep from sticking, and set aside.
- In large skillet over medium heat, saute onions until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute but don’t let it burn. Next, add beef and sausage to the onion mixture and turn up the heat to medium-high. Cook until browned and no longer pink, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Drain off the grease, then stir in the sauce and remove from heat.
- In the baking dish(es), spread a thin layer of the meat sauce into the bottom. Arrange a layer of half the ravioli over the sauce. Sprinkle about 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and about 1 cup of the Italian cheese over the ravioli. Pour half of the remaining sauce over the cheese and spread it with the back of a spoon. Repeat layers, ending with the rest of the sauce on top. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes until hot throughout. Take foil off and bake about 15 minutes more or until bubbly at edges.
- Let rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving.
Freeze For Later:
Prepare the casserole through Step 5, but do not bake. Wrap the unbaked casserole(s) tightly with plastic wrap and foil before putting in the freezer, making sure to squeeze out any excess air.
Prepare From Frozen:
Thaw in the fridge (may take up to 48 hours) or thaw in the microwave on defrost setting. Bake according to instructions, beginning with Step 6.
If cooking directly from frozen state, increase baking time by 1 to 1 ½ hours (total baking time of about 2-2 ½ hours).
Looking for more ground beef recipes?
Check out our Top 10 Ground Beef Freezer Meals!
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What is a serving? For 18, it must be really small?!?
Thanks for catching this error! Should have said 8-10 servings.
Can I put this in the fridge and cook it the next day?
Yes, definitely!
Do you need to add 30 minutes to cooking time since its cold from the refrigerator? Or, could you bring it to room temp and cook at normal time?
Great points. You may need to add a little extra cook time if it comes straight from the fridge (just look for it to be bubbly on the edges and hot in the center). And, yes, letting it sit out for 30 or so minutes when pulling it straight from the fridge would help it cook at the normal time length.
How many raviolis for 30 people?
Not sure exactly how many raviolis it would be but I would probably make 3 batches of this to feed 30 people. Happy cooking!
This was a great base recipe for making ravioli-lasagna. (Or as my hubby is trying to dub it: lasavioli. LOL) Anyway, he loved it and I loved the easy prep. I did mine in (2) 8″ square pans so that each container had 4 servings. Baked one fresh and put the other up in the freezer. May tweak things a bit more, but, again, this was certainly a good base to build on. Thanks!
★★★★
My family loves lasagna and this was a winner. It was easy, everyone enjoyed it, and I doubled the recipe and put one in the freezer. Pretty much perfect in my book!
I used frozen ravioli and did not cook them first. I added just a tad bit of water to my sauce to make sure it wouldn’t dry out and it was fine.
★★★★★
A friend of mine calls this Lazy Lasagne. Rolls of the tongue easier and has a nice ring to it 😉
Oooo, I like it!
About how many adults would one casserole serve?
Probably 6-8 easily.
In step #2 , how long does one cook the meat sauce after the sauce and the crushed tomatoes are added ? Thanks !
Good question. I just updated the recipe. You do not need to cook it more at this point, unless you want to for a few minutes just to let the flavors combine more. I usually just remove it from the heat and use it immediately in the casserole.
Can you put this in a crock pot? The only reason I ask is that I want to take it to work for a lunch.
Do you mean to cook it or warm it up? I’ve never tried either, but I would guess you could put it in a small crock on the “warm” setting to keep it warm at work. As far as cooking it, I’ve seen other bloggers talk about cooking lasagnas in slow cookers but I’ve never tried it with this recipe. It’s a good idea, though, if it worked!
Why does it need to be frozen before baking? I’m hoping to freeze meals so that I can stay on track with my diet and wanting meals to be quick and easy, so just wanting to make sure I’m doing it right! haha.
Toni- I think it can be done either way. I’ve baked mine and then divided it up into small portions to freeze and reheat for later. In some cases, reheating a meal that has already been cooked can dry it out or overcook it. However, this one is an exception in my book. Let us know if you have any more questions!
Might be a silly question BUT…don’t you cook the meat before throwing it together to freeze? Just leave garlic and onions raw ? Thanks!
The recipe calls for you to cook the meat and veggies in Step #2. Maybe you missed that? (It happens to me all the time!)
If I am making this to freeze, could I use frozen ravioli?
Hi Laura. I’ve only ever made this by cooking the pasta (usually frozen to begin with) until it’s al dente. I’m not sure what it would do to the recipe if you did not cook it first, but it might be worth a shot. I’m sure you’d have to cook it quite a bit longer and be sure to cover with foil. Let me know if you do it and it works. I’m always looking for ways to cut corners!
I have actually made a similar lasagna using frozen ravioli. I found this recipe with meat and was surprised about cooking the ravioli before layering. I cooked frozen ravioli in my last recipe at 350 for 40 mins covered and then 20 mins uncovered and this recipe didn’t have meat. I am trying to remember if I actually cooked it a bit longer than suggested as I didn’t think it was bubbly enough. Anyways….making this same recipe here and using frozen ravioli for the freezer meal and the meal I am preparing for later….as it will thaw in fridge overnight. I am excited to try this version very soon. I am sure it will be a hit.
At what point do you freeze?
I will work on the Freezer Meal instructions right now. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I had missed this recipe. You’ll want to put the whole casserole together and freeze it before baking. When ready to cook, either thaw in the fridge for at least 24 hours or thaw in the microwave on defrost. If it’s still frozen in the middle when you bake it, it will take a little longer. Cover with foil if it starts to brown on top and is not warm in the middle. It’s ready when the edges are bubbly and the top is golden brown. I hope that helps for now!
Hi! Wondering what the cooking instructions are from frozen? : ) Many thanks!!
Oh, also, should I freeze in an aluminum 9×13 pan? Thanks a lot!
You’ll want to put the whole casserole together and freeze it before baking. When ready to cook, either thaw in the fridge for at least 24 hours or thaw in the microwave on defrost. If it’s still frozen in the middle when you bake it, it will take a bit longer. Cover with foil if it starts to brown on top and is not warm in the middle. It’s ready when the edges are bubbly and the top is golden brown. Yes, you can certainly freeze this in a 9×13 pan. Just be sure to wrap/cover it tightly. I’ll work on adding the Freezer Meal instructions right away to this recipe.
Just made two of these. Froze one. About to devour the next. Thanks for the recipes. I’m due with baby #2 in 10 days. It’s a make one freeze one week of cooking for me:-).
I just made it tonight as well. It makes TONS of leftovers. Good luck with #2!!
I just made a veggie version of this subbing shredded carrot, onion and spinach for the beefy filling. To be perfectly honest my husband would certainly prefer the meat but I’m working with what I have. 😉 I’m excited to try it for dinner!
I actually have a similar vegetarian recipe to this one too, Natalie, called Cheesy Spinach Baked Tortellini (in recipe index). We like the non-meat version. I’m sure yours will turn out great! (P.S. My husband sounds like yours…loves him some meat.)
That’s what Jamielyn at I {heart} Nap Time named it for me, so that’s what I went with. 🙂 Beefy Baked Ravioli does sound a little strange once I started thinking about it. When do we use the term beefy as a good thing? Ha!
I can’t call it Baked Beef Ravioli. It doesn’t roll off the tongue and I feel like it’s a tongue twister! But I am excited this recipe has been cleaned up and is now in blog land. Thanks Rach!!!