people help themselves, keeping grated Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and a little bowl of chopped fresh basil or parsley on the side for topping.
My church friend brought this to potluck and blew everyone’s mind. Just 3 ingredients layered together and forgotten about for hours. It melts in your mouth and leaves the whole house smelling amazing
Slow Cooker 3-Ingredient Cheesy Ravioli
Servings: 6
Ingredients
1 (24–28 ounce) jar marinara or spaghetti sauce
1 (25–27 ounce) bag frozen cheese ravioli
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions
Spray the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker lightly with nonstick cooking spray to help with cleanup.
Pour about 1/2 cup of the marinara or spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around to lightly coat the bottom. This keeps the ravioli from sticking.
Add a single, even layer of frozen cheese ravioli over the sauce. It’s fine if a few overlap slightly, but try to keep them mostly in one layer.
Spoon more sauce over the ravioli, just enough to cover them, then sprinkle a generous handful of shredded mozzarella cheese over the top.
Repeat the layers—ravioli, sauce, mozzarella—until you’ve used all the ravioli. Finish with a final layer of sauce and then the remaining mozzarella cheese on top, making sure the top is well covered so it melts into a gooey, cheesy blanket.
Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until the ravioli are tender and cooked through and the cheese on top is fully melted and starting to brown around the edges. Avoid lifting the lid during cooking so the heat stays in.
Once cooked, switch the slow cooker to WARM if you’re serving at a potluck or over a longer period. Let the ravioli sit for about 10 minutes with the lid slightly cracked before serving so it can set up a bit and is easier to scoop.
Spoon the cheesy ravioli straight from the slow cooker into bowls or onto plates, making sure everyone gets some of the saucy bottom and the gooey, browned cheese from the top.
Variations & Tips
Use this as a base and tweak it to fit your family. For extra cheesiness, swap part of the mozzarella for an Italian blend or add a layer of sliced provolone in the middle. If you like a little kick, choose a spicy marinara or stir some red pepper flakes into the sauce before layering.
You can also use different flavors of frozen ravioli—spinach and cheese or four-cheese both work well—just keep them cheese-based so you’re still at three ingredients. For a heartier version, use a meat sauce instead of plain marinara. To keep things lighter, choose a lower-sodium sauce and part-skim mozzarella.
If your slow cooker tends to run hot, check the ravioli at about 3 hours so the edges don’t overcook; you want the cheese browned on top but not burnt. Leftovers reheat nicely in the microwave the next day, and you can add a splash of extra sauce if they seem a little dry.
