Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
8 hrs 45 mins
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Total Time
9 hrs 5 mins
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Servings
6 servings
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Course
Main Course
Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
Description
This recipe combines beef and Italian sausage to make tender meatballs seasoned with garlic, Parmesan, parsley, and breadcrumbs. They are browned before slow-cooking in a mixture of crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef stock, onion, garlic, and sugar which creates a rich, balanced sauce. The slow cooker gently melds the flavors over several hours, allowing the meatballs to become tender and infused with the sauce.
Broken spaghetti is stirred into the slow cooker near the end of the cooking process and cooked until tender, absorbing the sauce's flavor. Chopped fresh basil added last introduces a bright herbal note. The method avoids active stove time, relying on slow cooking for depth and tenderness.
Serve this dish hot, directly from the slow cooker, for a comforting family meal. It pairs well with a simple green salad or garlic bread. The recipe offers convenience for day-of or make-ahead preparation and can feed a crowd given the quantity of meatballs and pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup beef stock
- ½ onion diced, medium sweet
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- salt to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
- black pepper to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
- 8 ounces spaghetti broken in half
- ⅓ cup basil chopped, fresh leaves
For the meatballs
- 1 pound ground beef lean
- ½ pound Italian sausage casing removed
- ½ cup panko
- ¼ cup milk whole
- 1 egg lightly beaten, large
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan Cheese freshly grated
- 3 tablespoons parsley chopped fresh leaves
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
- black pepper to taste, Kosher salt and freshly ground
- 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, sausage, Panko, milk, egg, Parmesan, parsley and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 3/4-to-1-inch meatballs, forming about 32-35 meatballs.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add meatballs, in batches, and cook until all sides are browned, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
- Place crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef stock, onion, garlic and sugar into a 6-qt slow cooker. Stir in meatballs until well combined; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours.
- Stir in pasta; cover and cook on low heat for an additional 30-40 minutes, or until pasta is tender, stirring once. Stir in basil.
- Serve immediately.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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