(Serves 6–8)

Ingredients

For the Meat Sauce

• 1 lb lean ground beef or Italian sausage
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• Optional: ½ tsp crushed red pepper for a kick

For the Cheese Filling

• 15 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried parsley or Italian seasoning

Other Ingredients

• 1 (25 oz) package frozen ravioli (cheese or meat-filled)
• 1–2 cups shredded mozzarella for topping
• Fresh basil or parsley for garnish

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🍳 Instructions

1. Prepare the Meat Sauce

1. In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef or sausage with onion and garlic until fully cooked.
2. Drain excess fat.
3. Stir in marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and optional crushed red pepper. Simmer 2–3 minutes.

Tip: You can skip this step and put raw meat in the crockpot if desired — just make sure it’s fully cooked before serving.

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2. Prepare the Cheese Filling

1. In a bowl, combine: ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan, egg, garlic powder, and parsley/Italian seasoning.
2. Mix until smooth and creamy.

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3. Layer in the Crockpot

1. Spray crockpot with non-stick spray or lightly oil.
2. Add a thin layer of meat sauce at the bottom.
3. Add half the ravioli (uncooked is fine; no need to thaw).
4. Spoon half the cheese mixture over ravioli.
5. Add half the remaining meat sauce.
6. Repeat layers with remaining ravioli, cheese, and meat sauce.

Optional: Top with 1–2 cups shredded mozzarella for a melty cheesy top.

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4. Cook

• Cover crockpot and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours.
• Check towards the end to ensure ravioli are cooked through.

Tip: Do not remove the lid too often — keeps the steam in for perfect cooking.

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5. Serve

• Garnish with fresh basil or parsley.
• Serve hot with a side salad or garlic bread.

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💪 High-Protein Tips

• Use lean ground beef or turkey for more protein, less fat.
• Use high-protein ricotta or cottage cheese.
• Add extra mozzarella or Parmesan for more protein and flavor.
• Use meat-filled ravioli for additional protein over cheese-only.

Each serving can easily reach 25–35g protein depending on meat and cheese used.