There are days when I don't really want to fuss much in the kitchen. They aren't often - let's face it, I'm doing this stuff for a living, feeding my crew, and nurturing my passion - but sometimes I want dinner to take a few minutes of effort on my part. So for days like that, I turn to this simple dish that my husband describes as "like lasagna, but better."
This baked dish takes four ingredients that you can rely on from the prepackaged foods section of your grocery list and turns them into a fantastic dish that has literally gotten cheers in my house. Now I might be using meatballs and ravioli I made in advance a different day and pasta sauce that was canned from last year's garden tomatoes, but I will also absolutely own that I've used ingredients that came home in a grocery bag too. This one is here for all the tired people out there that want some comfort food, but don't want to spend more time than it would take to figure out an order and call for delivery. I hear ya.
I do like to toss a quick salad together to have with this dish. And yeah, of course you can use a bagged mix and bottled dressing. I just find that having just this dish ends up feeling a little too heavy for my tastes, so grab a little green, pour a little wine, and enjoy a laid back, delicious dinner!
Ravioli and Meatball Bake
- 20 oz. meatballs - use homemade or frozen
- 24 oz. pasta sauce
- 12 oz. frozen ravioli - I used cheese ravioli
- 8 oz. shredded cheese - I used mozzarella
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
If the meatballs are frozen, heat them in the microwave until they are warm enough to slice. Cut them in half; set aside.
In a 9×13-inch baking dish, add a thin layer of pasta sauce so the bottom of the dish is covered. Top the thin layer of sauce with a single layer of ravioli (using about half). Top the ravioli with half of the meatballs and a third of the remaining pasta sauce.
Repeat another layer of ravioli, meatballs, and sauce. Once you've used all the layering items, top the dish with all of the shredded cheese.
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake the dish at 375°F for 25 minutes covered; then uncover the dish and bake another 15 more minutes uncovered. Remove from the oven and allow the dish to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Yields: 6-8 servings
- Preparation Time: 50 minutes