Easy Ravioli Lasagna

This Easy Ravioli Lasagna is just what it says…easy.  Taking a few simple shortcuts with the ingredients, you can have this hearty and healthy dinner on your table in just over an hour.

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With 3 kids in school and busy with extra curricular activities I am finding our meal times are becoming more challenging than ever.  I thought I was busy with babies, and I certainly was, but I find I’m a whole different kind of busy now that they’re older.  There’s a lot more physical shuffling and driving than ever before, but now there’s this whole new emotional exhaustion that has come into play as we tackle puberty, and junior high drama, and just trying to keep up with their social lives which are sadly more busy than mine. 😉  So now more than ever, the family dinner table is super important.  Dinner at the table during the week is mandatory in our home…and it’s a rare day when all 5 of us aren’t together for dinner.  This is something that I have held onto since the day my first baby was born, and I just can’t let it go.  In fact as they get older, these dinners are even more important.  This is where we find out what is going on with every one, how they’re feeling, what they’re dealing with, what homework they have, who their friends are.  There something about the dinner table that gets my kids a’ talkin.  And while there are days when the table feels chaotic with so many emotions, overall it’s a good and important time.  I hope one day my kids will look back at these dinners and remember good food and family.

But sometimes the idea of meal planning 7 days a week can be very daunting, and there are times when we will order take out to relieve the pressure, but most times we do eat home cooked meals.  I try to have a meal plan to make things go more smoothly for me which really helps, but I am also allowing myself to take shortcuts with our dinners.  Not everything has to be home made.  It just doesn’t.  Shortcuts like pre-made pasta sauces, soups, pastries…these are all the ingredients that you can buy, that can be healthy if you just pay attention to the ingredient list…we have more healthy pre-made options now than ever.  And they save time and sanity which is so important, right?!

This Easy Ravioli is one of those dishes that uses a couple of short cut ingredients.  The recipe calls for a package of bought fresh raviolis and a jar of pre made pasta sauce, which takes so much pressure out of making this dish.  So you’re spending less time cooking and more time with your family.

Easy Ravioli Lasagna

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• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 75 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 onion (chopped)
• 1 clove of garlic (minced)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 (640 mL) jar of your favourite spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup cream or 2% milk (half & half)
• 1 (700 gram) large package of fresh ravioli (I used spinach & cheese)
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

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Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a skillet cook the ground beef with the onion and garlic, until the ground beef is no longer pink.
3. Add the spaghetti sauce, oregano and pepper.
4. Stir in the milk.

Putting it all together:

1. Add 1/2 of the sauce to a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Add 1/2 of the ravioli.
3. Spread on the ricotta cheese.
4. Add the remaining ravioli.
5. Spread on the remaining sauce.
6. Top with the shredded and parmesan cheese.
7. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, until the cheese is golden and bubbling.

Notes

If you want, you can add 2 cups of chopped vegetables: mushrooms, peppers, carrots, squash (your choice!). Just cook them in a skillet with some olive oil until soft, then stir into the sauce before baking.

I hope you add this recipe to your meal plan, and that it takes some pressure out of your meal making!  Enjoy!

Have a delicious day!