Memorial Day Weekend Winner: Just 5 ingredients. I make it when I want dinner handled hours ahead before the backyard guests arrive.

This 5-ingredient slow cooker stuffed manicotti is exactly what I make when I want dinner handled hours before everyone shows up in the backyard. It’s a Midwest-style, no-fuss comfort dish: dry manicotti tubes stuffed with a super simple cheesy filling, tucked into a bed of jarred marinara, then finished with a golden, bubbly blanket of more cheese on top. Everything happens in the slow cooker while you’re cleaning the patio, chilling drinks, or wrangling kids. By the time your Memorial Day weekend guests arrive, you lift the lid to a bubbling, crusted, red-and-gold pasta bake that looks like you worked way harder than you actually did.

Serve this slow cooker stuffed manicotti straight from the crock with a big green salad (I love a simple romaine, cucumber, and Italian dressing situation) and plenty of garlic bread or toasted baguette slices to scoop up the extra sauce. A light veggie side like grilled zucchini or roasted asparagus keeps the meal from feeling too heavy, and a pitcher of iced tea, lemonade, or a chilled red blend pairs really well with the rich tomato and cheese. If you’re hosting, set the slow cooker on warm and let people help themselves, buffet-style, with grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes on the side.

Servings: 6

1 (24–26 oz) jar marinara sauce

Spray the inside of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray for easier cleanup.

In a medium bowl, stir together the marinara sauce and water until evenly combined. Pour about half of this thinned sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it out into an even layer.

In another bowl, mix the ricotta cheese with 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella until well combined. This will be your simple stuffing mixture.

Stuff the dry manicotti shells with the ricotta-mozzarella mixture. You can use a small spoon or transfer the filling to a zip-top bag, snip off a corner, and pipe it into each tube. Pack the filling in from both ends so the shells are well filled but not bursting.

Arrange the stuffed manicotti in a single snug layer over the sauce in the slow cooker. It’s okay if they touch or you need to curve them slightly to fit, but try to avoid stacking.

Pour the remaining marinara mixture evenly over the stuffed shells, making sure all the pasta is covered with sauce so it can soften properly as it cooks.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or until the manicotti are tender when pierced with a knife and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Avoid lifting the lid during the first few hours so you don’t lose heat and moisture.

Once the pasta is tender, sprinkle the remaining 1 cup shredded mozzarella evenly over the top. Cover again and cook on HIGH for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted, bubbling, and starting to form a golden-brown crust on the surface.

Turn the slow cooker to WARM and let the manicotti rest for about 10 minutes to set slightly. This helps the tubes hold together when scooping. Serve directly from the slow cooker, scooping down through the cheesy top to reveal the soft, stuffed pasta underneath.

You can tweak this basic five-ingredient template a lot without adding much effort. For a meatier version, serve with Italian sausage or meatballs cooked separately on the grill or stovetop so you don’t change the 5-ingredient slow cooker formula. If you’re okay bending the 5-ingredient rule a bit, you can stir a handful of grated Parmesan and a pinch of Italian seasoning or garlic powder into the ricotta mixture, or add a layer of baby spinach under the manicotti for some hidden veggies. Different jarred sauces (roasted garlic, basil, arrabbiata) totally change the vibe with zero extra work. For a lighter option, use part-skim ricotta and mozzarella; for a richer, stretchier top, use whole milk mozzarella and let it brown a little longer. Food safety tips: Always start with clean, dry hands and utensils when stuffing the pasta. Keep the cheeses refrigerated until you’re ready to mix and stuff, and don’t leave the stuffed manicotti sitting out at room temperature for more than 30 minutes before starting the slow cooker. Cook on LOW or HIGH only as directed; do not use the WARM setting to cook from raw, as it doesn’t reach a safe temperature quickly enough. Once cooked, don’t leave the slow cooker on the WARM setting for more than 2 hours. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers and reheat until steaming hot before serving.