When you need a hearty meal that’s fast and easy, this crockpot ziti with sausage comes to the rescue! One slow cooker makes enough to feed all my people with a few leftovers for the next day which makes this leftover queen happy.
Crockpot Ziti With Sausage
This is an easy slow cooker recipe for when you will be away for hours like after church or a homeschool group day out. This is such an easy dinner and hearty meal that may become the new family favorite.
It can bubble and brew away until youāre almost ready to eat. Then the noodles cook in no time when you are setting the table and putting the sides together.
How to Make Crockpot Baked Ziti
Precook your meat with with onions and garlic in a large skillet on medium-high heat, then drain the juices.
Dump the meat, sauce, broth, tomatoes, remaining spices, and ricotta cheese into the slow cooker. I didn’t have ricotta cheese so I used feta cheese instead. Put the lid on then decide if you want it in 7-8 hours or 3-4 hours. Turn it on low for the former and high for the latter.
Many hours later, take the lid off to find it bubbling and brewing. It’s pretty forgiving so no worries if it’s been on slightly longer than the recommended time.
30 minutes before it is time to eat, add the dried noodles on high temperature. Then relid it and set your timer for 20 minutes. You should check the noodle doneness at the 20 minute mark.
Once the noodles are done, add the shredded cheese and wait 2 – 3 minutes for it to melt. You can also use an italian cheese blend. or any other kinds of shredded cheese that you love. The gooey melted cheese on top just makes this pasta dish even more special.
Ingredients for Crock Pot Ziti
These are the ingredients that you will need for this large family slow cooker sausage baked ziti recipe.
- 3 lbs cooked and drained ground beef (or ground sausage, hot or mild)
- 1 onion chopped (or 1 Tbsp minced onion)
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp dried basil or fresh basil
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, ricotta cheese, or cottage cheese
- 30 ounces tomato sauce
- 56 ounces diced tomatoes
- 6 cups water or broth
- 3 16 ounce boxes of uncooked ziti pasta noodles
- 4 cups shredded cheese
Tips for the Best Crockpot Baked Ziti
Here are some fun tips and ideas to make this meal even easier for your busy days.
- Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with cooking spray before cooking to help the ingredients to not stick to the bottom.
- Slow cooker liners are a great way to help with your clean up afterwards.
- Save more time by cooking 6 lbs of ground sausage in the slow cooker overnight.
- You can also precook your meat ahead of time or homemade meat sauce, then freeze to pull out later to add to this recipe.
What to Serve with Baked Ziti
Baked ziti goes well with garlic bread and a nice green salad for a well rounded meal that will fill all the bellies!
I like to have extra sauce, parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes available for those that want to add some extras to their plates.
Substitutions and Variation Ideas
Here’s a frugal tip for you. Grab cottage cheese when it’s on clearance or on sale. Freeze it then use it in place of ricotta cheese in your lasagna or casseroles. You won’t notice the difference and your wallet will thank you.
You may substitute uncooked gluten-free pasta for regular uncooked pasta in this recipe. If your whole family likes things kicked up a notch, you can use spicy italian sausage instead of mild italian sausage.
If you don’t have fresh garlic cloves to mince you can substitute garlic powder in a pinch. You can also use Italian seasoning or fresh herbs in place of dry.
You may also use jars of of pasta sauce instead of tomato sauce and canned tomatoes if you prefer. This delicious recipe is very versatile!
Try these other slow cooker recipes:
If you are a busy family like ours, I know how you are always looking for easy recipes that you can make in a flash. These crock pot recipes are great for when you know you will have a busy day outside of the house.
Slow Cooker Chicken Broccoli Alfredo
100+ Cheap Crockpot Meals for Large Families
Slow Cooker Homemade Sloppy Joes
Don’t miss my brand new 3 Dump & Go Crockpot Meals on YouTube including this new Slow Cooker Baked Ziti recipe. I also include ideas on what to make with extra meat that you can cook up at the same time!
This recipe is sure to become a family favorite both for how delicious it is but also how easy and frugal. It’s great for large families, for potlucks, or even smaller families who want leftovers. Everyone is sure to love slow cooker sausage baked ziti!
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Catch My Crockpot Playlist for More Ideas!
PrintCheap and Easy Crockpot Baked Ziti With SausageĀ
- Author: Jamerrill Stewart
- Prep Time: 25 Minutes
- Cook Time: 4 Hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
Description
This is an easy slow cooker recipe for a busy day. It’s such an easy dinner and hearty meal that may become the new family favorite.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs cooked and drained ground beef (or ground sausage, hot or mild)
- 1 onion chopped (or 1 Tbsp minced onion)
- 2 Tbsp minced garlic
- 1 Tbsp dried basil or fresh basil
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 cup feta cheese, ricotta cheese, or cottage cheese
- 30 ounces tomato sauce
- 56 ounces diced tomatoes
- 6 cups water or broth
- 3 16 ounce boxes of uncooked ziti pasta noodles
- 4 cups shredded cheese
Instructions
Precook your meat with onions and garlic in a large skillet on medium-high heat, then drain the juices.
Dump the meat, sauce, broth, tomatoes, remaining spices, and ricotta cheese into the slow cooker. Since this makes enough for a large family, you’ll want to use two crock pots an divide the ingredients in half, placing half in each crock pot.Ā I didn’t have ricotta cheese so I used feta cheese instead. Put the lid on then decide if you want it in 7-8 hours or 3-4 hours. Turn it on low for the former and high for the latter.
Many hours later, take the lid off to find it bubbling and brewing. It’s pretty forgiving so no worries if it’s been on slightly longer than the recommended time.
30 minutes before it is time to eat, add the dried noodles (splitting the noodles between the two crock pots and cook it at a high temperature. Then relid it and set your timer for 20 minutes. You should check the noodle doneness at the 20 minute mark.
Once the noodles are done, add the shredded cheese and wait 2 – 3 minutes for it to melt. You can also use an Italian cheese blend. or any other kinds of shredded cheese that you love. The gooey melted cheese on top just makes this pasta dish even more special.
Find it online: https://largefamilytable.com/slow-cooker-sausage-baked-ziti/