Million Dollar Ravioli Casserole: Ooey-Gooey, Cheesy, Comfort-Food Bliss in a Dish

What the heck is this?
This is what happens when your weeknight dinner budget meets your weekend-level craving for something warm, cheesy, and borderline decadent. Imagine layers of pillowy cheese ravioli baked in rich meat sauce, swirled with a creamy, cheesy filling that tastes like it cost a million bucks—but it’s secretly made with fridge and pantry staples. This casserole is hearty, family-friendly, freezer-friendly, and guaranteed to get rave reviews at the table.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s easy to assemble, totally satisfying, and feeds a crowd without a lot of effort. There’s no boiling pasta, no fancy ingredients, and you can even assemble it ahead of time. It’s the cozy casserole version of lasagna but lazier (in the best way). Also: leftovers taste just as good the next day—if there are any.

The Good Stuff You’ll Need

• 1 bag (about 25 oz) frozen cheese ravioli (no need to thaw)
• 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage (or a combo!)
• 1 jar (24 oz) marinara or your favorite pasta sauce
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt + black pepper to taste

For the “million dollar” cheese layer:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Optional: red pepper flakes or fresh chopped basil

Let’s Do This

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
2. Make the meat sauce: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add ground beef or sausage and cook until browned. Drain any excess grease. Stir in pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5–10 minutes to let the flavors come together.
3. Make the cheese mixture: In a bowl, mix together ricotta, cream cheese, sour cream, half the mozzarella, and Parmesan until smooth. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Layer it up: Spread about ¾ cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of your baking dish. Arrange half the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce. Dollop and spread half the cheese mixture on top. Spoon on more meat sauce. Repeat layers with remaining ravioli, cheese mixture, and sauce. Finish with the rest of the mozzarella sprinkled on top.
5. Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake an additional 15–20 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown on top. Let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing—trust us, it’ll hold together better.
6. Serve: Slice into squares, garnish with fresh parsley or basil if desired, and watch everyone fall in love.

Serving Suggestions
Serve this with a big green salad, garlic bread, or steamed broccoli to balance out the richness. A glass of red wine wouldn’t hurt either.

Switch It Up

• Use spinach or beef ravioli for more variety.
• Add a handful of chopped spinach or sautéed mushrooms to the cheese layer for a veggie boost.
• Sub cottage cheese for ricotta if you want it lighter.
• Go spicy with hot Italian sausage and crushed red pepper flakes in the sauce.

Make-Ahead Tips
You can fully assemble this casserole up to 24 hours in advance—just cover and refrigerate, then bake as directed (add an extra 10–15 minutes if baking straight from the fridge). It also freezes beautifully: wrap tightly before baking and freeze up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 375°F for about 1 hour, or thaw overnight first and bake as usual.

Questions People Actually Ask
Can I use fresh ravioli instead of frozen? Yes! You may want to reduce baking time slightly—check after 30 minutes.
What’s the point of the cream cheese and sour cream? It creates that rich, velvety texture that makes it taste like a million bucks—trust us, it’s worth it.
Can I make this vegetarian? Definitely—just skip the meat and use marinara on its own, or bulk it up with mushrooms and zucchini.
Will kids like it? They’ll LOVE it. It’s cheesy, pasta-filled, and not too spicy.

Million Dollar Ravioli Casserole: Ooey-Gooey, Cheesy, Comfort-Food Bliss in a Dish

---

• Author: Tyla
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 6–8 servings 1x

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

This is what happens when your weeknight dinner budget meets your weekend-level craving for something warm, cheesy, and borderline decadent. Imagine layers of pillowy cheese ravioli baked in rich meat sauce, swirled with a creamy, cheesy filling that tastes like it cost a million bucks—but it’s secretly made with fridge and pantry staples. This casserole is hearty, family-friendly, freezer-friendly, and guaranteed to get rave reviews at the table.

---

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 bag (about 25 oz) frozen cheese ravioli (no need to thaw)

• 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage (or a combo!)

• 1 jar (24 oz) marinara or your favorite pasta sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 small onion, finely diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• ½ teaspoon salt + black pepper to taste

For the “million dollar” cheese layer:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup sour cream

• 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese (divided)

• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

• Optional: red pepper flakes or fresh chopped basil

---

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

2. Make the meat sauce: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add ground beef or sausage and cook until browned. Drain any excess grease. Stir in pasta sauce, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 5–10 minutes to let the flavors come together.

3. Make the cheese mixture: In a bowl, mix together ricotta, cream cheese, sour cream, half the mozzarella, and Parmesan until smooth. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

4. Layer it up: Spread about ¾ cup of the meat sauce on the bottom of your baking dish. Arrange half the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce. Dollop and spread half the cheese mixture on top. Spoon on more meat sauce. Repeat layers with remaining ravioli, cheese mixture, and sauce. Finish with the rest of the mozzarella sprinkled on top.

5. Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake an additional 15–20 minutes, until bubbly and golden brown on top. Let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing—trust us, it’ll hold together better.

6. Serve: Slice into squares, garnish with fresh parsley or basil if desired, and watch everyone fall in love.

Notes

• Use spinach or beef ravioli for more variety.

• Add a handful of chopped spinach or sautéed mushrooms to the cheese layer for a veggie boost.

• Sub cottage cheese for ricotta if you want it lighter.

• Go spicy with hot Italian sausage and crushed red pepper flakes in the sauce.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition

• Calories: ~580 kcal per serving
• Fat: ~32g
• Carbohydrates: ~42g
• Protein: ~27g