Beefy Baked Ravioli: An Easy Fake-Out Lasagna
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This Beef Ravioli is a dinnertime favorite in my home. This fake out lasagna is very easy to make too! It’s super filling and makes a great beef freezer meal. My kids love it.
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 Beef 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 Beef 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 Beef 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 the Meal In
We recommend using a freezer-friendly, resealable glass container or dish. While it may be easier to buy 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.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Beefy Baked Ravioli: An Easy Fake-Out Lasagna
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.
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 inch pan (or two 8×8 inch pans) with cooking spray.
- In large skillet over medium-high 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 3, 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, baking time will increase.
Looking for more ground beef recipes?
Check out our Top 10 Ground Beef Freezer Meals!
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This one’s a homerun! I love Italian dishes but not a huge fan of traditional Lasagna. I think it’s the thick noodles I don’t care for. But I love ravioli so this one I just had to try. It’s so much better than regular Lasagna!! It comes together quickly, freezes well, and everyone I’ve shared it with LOVES it. I usually precook the ravioli when making it to cook right away, but last night I left it frozen & it cooked just fine! I used the same cooking times.
★★★★★
Hi Becka! Thank you for the wonderful review… you named many of our goals in your comment — quick, freezes well, homerun! I’m glad you mentioned that you didn’t precook the ravioli because it isn’t necessary, which makes this dish come together even quicker.
This is one of my family’s favorite recipes! I love to make one for dinner and one for the freezer.
★★★★★
Yes! I love recipes that can be easily doubled without adding much time so one can go in the freezer for later. Glad you like it!
I make this lasagna fake meal in the crockpot. Same ingredients, use frozen ravioli, 4 hours, low setting. 1# ground beef, 1# Italian sausage, 48oz sauce, 25oz frozen ravioli, 1#shredded mortz cheese, Parmesan on each layer. Layer sauce, ravioli, cheese do again and again. Cheese on top. Ready to eat or put in casserole dish to freeze or heat later. So easy for a large group. (Large crockpot)
★★★★★
Ooo, great idea! Thanks for sharing this tip, Kathleen.
Took this to a friend who just had surgery. Easy to put together and transport, which is always a plus.
★★★★★
Love that! Thanks for sharing, Nancy.
This was a hit with 4 toddlers/preschoolers (and the adults too). I was able to freeze half for later and still had plenty for dinner and leftovers! Super easy prep as well.
★★★★★