Tastes Better From Scratch

Everything tastes better homemade!

  • About
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes
Home » Main Dish » Slow Cooker » Slow Cooker Three Cheese Ziti

Slow Cooker Three Cheese Ziti

By Lauren Allen on September 25, 2017, Updated August 9, 2019

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

The creamy, sauce-y cheese ziti that you love, made in your slow cooker!

Cheesy slow cooker ziti in a crock pot with a spoon scooping some out of the pot.

I’ve got another one pot wonder for you guys today: Slow Cooker Three Cheese Ziti. Complete comfort food bliss!

Baked ziti has always been high on my list of favorite cheesy pastas. It’s usually my go-to if we’re ever eating at olive garden. It’s simple amazing, especially paired with their awesome breadsticks (here’s my homemade olive garden breadsticks, in case you want to make them yourself!).

A Slow Cooker with red sauce at the bottom and raw ziti noodles.

I have a one pan baked ziti recipe on my blog that I shared a little while ago. It’s one of my family’s favorites and it contains a yummy meat sauce. This slow cooker three cheese ziti recipe is a little different. First, it’s easier than the other (although both are made in just one pan, so you can’t go wrong!).

 

A Slow Cooker with sauce and ziti noodles topped with cheese.

This one has even more cheesy-ness going on than the other.  It’s reminds me of my favorite slow cooker lasagna recipe in the way that everything is layered in the crock pot. I love how the noodles are added, uncooked, straight from the box. You don’t have to cook or pre-prep anything before making this.

A Slow Cooker filled with Three Cheese Ziti pasta

This meal is a total winner in the “fix it and forget it” category and the end result is tender noodles sandwiched between layers of cheesy deliciousness.

A spoon lifting Three Cheese Ziti out of a crock pot.

 

Consider trying these popular slow cooker recipes:

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Slow Cooker Ribs

Hawaiian BBQ Meatballs

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

Chipotle Chicken Fajita Soup

You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!

The creamy, sauce-y cheese ziti that you love, made in your slow cooker! | tastesbetterfromscratch.com

Slow Cooker Three Cheese Ziti

The creamy, sauce-y cheese ziti that you love, made in your slow cooker!
4.67 from 15 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 478kcal
Author: Lauren Allen

Ingredients

  • 2 24 ounce jars marinara pasta sauce
  • 16 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 16 ounces UNCOOKED ziti pastas (or penne)
  • 4 ounces cream cheese , softened
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese)
  • 2 cloves garlic , minced
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves , chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

  • Add cream cheese, sour cream and ricotta to a mixing bowl. Beat with electric mixers until smooth. Stir in garlic and basil.
  • In a large bowl, combine both jars of pasta sauce, tomato sauce and water.
  • Add 2 cups of sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker
  • Top with about ⅓ of the uncooked penne.
  • Dot on half of the ricotta mixture and use a spoon to gently spread it out evenly. Top with 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese.
  • Add another 2 cups of sauce. Top with ⅓ of the uncooked penne. Add remaining ricotta mixture and spread. Sprinkle on the remaining 3/4 cup parmesan cheese.
  • Add the remaining uncooked penne. Top with the remaining sauce.
  • Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, or LOW for 3 1/3 -4 hours or until pasta is tender.
  • During the last few minutes, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese to the top, and return the lid of the machine to allow it to melt. After mine melted I stuck it under the broiler of my oven for 2 minutes to make the cheese golden and bubbly, but you don’t have to!

Notes

Be sure the ziti noodles are covered by the sauce so they cook appropriately.
I use a 6 qt. slow cooker!  Anything that size or larger will work perfectly!

Nutrition

Calories: 478kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1632mg | Potassium: 961mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1620IU | Vitamin C: 16.4mg | Calcium: 378mg | Iron: 3.4mg
Did you make this recipe?Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram #TastesBetterFromScratch!

Nutrition Facts
Slow Cooker Three Cheese Ziti
Amount Per Serving
Calories 478 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 10g50%
Cholesterol 54mg18%
Sodium 1632mg68%
Potassium 961mg27%
Carbohydrates 57g19%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 1620IU32%
Vitamin C 16.4mg20%
Calcium 378mg38%
Iron 3.4mg19%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Have you tried this recipe?!

RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.

Pin
Share
Tweet
Email


Kid-friendly· Main Dish· One Pan Meals· Pasta· Slow Cooker· Vegetarian
58 Comments

« Weekly Meal Plan (31)
7-Layer Bean Dip »

Comments

  1. Tina Wicker says

    March 15, 2018 at 7:31 pm

    5 stars
    So thankful for your site. Made this today. Hubby and boys loved this. Quick and easy.

    Reply
  2. Heather says

    April 13, 2018 at 10:20 pm

    This sounds like it would be great to make on vacation in the hotel room, and convienient. It will just be my husband and I though, so how would I reduce this recipe to feed 2? I have a 6 (or 8) qt programmable crockpot.

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      May 14, 2018 at 9:10 am

      Hi Heather,
      This recipe feeds about 6-8 people. I would divide each ingredient by 3 to feed you and your husband! You will also need to reduce the cooking time! I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  3. Drema says

    August 19, 2018 at 4:52 pm

    Thanks for the recipe. Showed my husband recipe. He is shopping list tomorrow. He is Italian. So this is right up our alley. Especially since I can put it in my crockpot and forget it. Thanks again

    Reply
  4. Hilary Black says

    October 18, 2018 at 1:23 pm

    I’m going to try this tonight. With only 3 people eating should I half the ingredients and half the time as well?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      October 18, 2018 at 10:14 pm

      It would be fine to half the recipe–it will probably cook for 1.5-2 hours on high.

      Reply
  5. Stacy says

    October 24, 2018 at 3:26 pm

    Looks delicious! Do you just put the crockpot insert in your oven or do you transfer the ziti to another pan when you broil it?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      October 28, 2018 at 12:44 pm

      I don’t use a crockpot insert since they are not safe for the oven.

      Reply
  6. Chrystee says

    November 20, 2018 at 9:19 pm

    Great dish!! My kids and I loved it!! Will definitely make it again!!

    Reply
  7. Snackpants says

    November 23, 2018 at 4:44 pm

    5 stars
    I made this to take into work for black friday, we had a skeleton crew so it was just 3 of us. I halved the recipe since it was just 3 of us. Also, I layered all the incredients in the crock overnight (with the exception of the mozz for the top, I saved that for the last 15 mins), and put the crock in the fridge with plastic wrap over the top to seal it.

    Once I got into the office, sripped off the plastic wrap, put the lid on it, and plugged it in on low for 3 hours and 20 minutes. Threw the mozz on top, left it on low for another 15 mins, and we all dug in.

    This came out great. I’d say halving it there was enough in there for 5 or 6 people. One of the women I work with took the leftovers home for her husband, so it was definitely a hit. We’re having a food day for something else next week, I’ll be setting it up again, except doing the full recipe then, and tossing in a pound of grass fed beef browned with the sauce. Should be pretty awesome.

    I was a little bit concerned with setting it up the night before, I was worried the noodles would get too soft. There was no issue. This recipe is pretty awesome and very simple. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      November 23, 2018 at 8:39 pm

      Thank you so much for sharing your experience–especially the tips for making it the night before. I’m so happy it turned out so well! Thanks for commenting.

      Reply
  8. Jean says

    December 20, 2018 at 9:29 am

    When would you add the cooked meat if you wanted to add it?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      December 22, 2018 at 2:59 pm

      Hi Jean,
      If your adding already cooked meat, I would just stir it in near the end of cooking and allow the meat time to reheat in the mixture.

      Reply
  9. Judy says

    January 4, 2019 at 10:59 am

    Can you use a crock pot liner (bag)?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      January 4, 2019 at 11:16 am

      Yes, that’s fine 🙂

      Reply
  10. Sharyn Nevels says

    January 18, 2019 at 10:52 am

    Do you transfer to another dish before putting in the oven to brown?

    Reply
    • Lauren Allen says

      January 18, 2019 at 12:22 pm

      I don’t (but my pot is oven-safe)

      Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos. Read More
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Thanksgiving Favorites!

Roasted Turkey on a large white platter, garnished with lemons, apples, garlic and fresh green herbs.

Easy, No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey

Pie crust with a crimped edge in a pie dish ready to be baked.

Perfect Pie Crust

Overhead view of a berry pie with a lattice crust.

Triple Berry Pie

A slice of the BEST Lemon Sour Cream Pie - tastesbetterfromscratch.com

Lemon Sour Cream Pie

Free 5-Week

Fall Meal Plan!

MAKE-AHEAD, family friendly recipes with grocery shopping lists!

Popular Recipes

  • Roasted Turkey on a large white platter, garnished with lemons, apples, garlic and fresh green herbs. Easy, No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey
  • Turkey gravy in a white gravy boat being poured over turkey slices on a plate with cranberry sauce and broccoli. Turkey Gravy
  • A cup of homemade eggnog served with whipped cream on top and a cinnamon stick, with holly berries, pinecones and another glass of eggnog in the background. Homemade Eggnog
  • Salted Chocolate and Caramel Pretzel Bars

Recipe Key

  • Appetizers
  • Desserts
  • Main Dish
  • Instant Pot
  • Pasta
  • Salads
  • Side Dishes
  • Snacks
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2010-2019 | Contact Me | Privacy Policy

Tastes Better From Scratch

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy