Slow Cooker Baked Ziti

A friend reached out to me with a food challenge: how to make baked ziti that will be hot and ready when they come back from a christening. A Slow Cooker Baked Ziti recipe seemed like the perfect solution!

Naturally, I had to do some experimenting so that I could give her a recipe to use that I know will work for her needs.

This recipe for Slow Cooker Baked Ziti involves layering ingredients in your slow cooker (paid link). letting it cook for 2 1/2 hours, and then adding some mozzarella cheese on top for ultimate cheesiness!

Ingredients:

  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
  • 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 (15 oz) container ricotta cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 (16 oz) box ziti pasta
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

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Baked Ziti

This blog post has been compensated by Borden® Cheese. All opinions are mine alone. #BordenCheeseLove #CollectiveBias #Ad

 

As I’ve mentioned in the past, pasta night is a very important night in my house. Both my husband and I come from (partially) Italian backgrounds, so pasta once a week is basically a necessity.

There is something about pasta dishes that is so comforting. It’s the meal that my grandmother would make for me every time my sister and I visited, and it’s the meal we most look forward to when visiting my husband’s parents. Pasta dishes always feel like they are cooked with love, don’t they?

I also have quite a love of cheese, so baked ziti ranks pretty high on my list of favorite pasta dishes. Pasta + love + cheese = the perfect comfort food!

Food, especially cheesy food is one of the best ways to show love for those who are special to you. This weekend, I made a super cheesy, meaty, baked ziti for my husband and me, with the help of Borden® Cheese. This casserole-style dish is the perfect way to know you’ll have leftovers for later in the week, or to feed a large (or hungry) family!

This baked ziti is tossed in a ricotta-tomato mixture with ground meat. It is then topped with Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds, which results in a wonderfully gooey, cheesy dish.

I found my Borden® Cheese at my local Acme, but check out this store locator to find Borden® Cheese near you. Borden® Cheese has a bunch of tasty cheese options, including Borden® Cheese Finely Shredded Four Cheese Mexican Shreds that I also picked up to use for tacos later in the week.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (16 oz) box ziti
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup finely chopped onions
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb hot Italian sausage, removed from its casing
  • 2 (28 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup beef stock
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley
  • 1 tbsp dried basil
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 16 oz ricotta
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups Borden® Cheese Mozzarella Shreds
  • Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

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