Meaty Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce – two kinds of meat, loads of vegetables, and a hearty dose of herbs and seasonings make this easy marinara sauce a winner!

When you have a large family, pasta is always an economical and tasty dinner option. We also love Skillet Lasagna and Lemon Chicken Pasta with Bacon. Yum!

A PERFECT FAMILY DINNER RECIPE!

Spaghetti is one food that we rarely have at my house. I’m not sure why, because it is super easy and everyone likes it. I just never think of it. My boys had been asking for it, so I put it on the menu for the week.

Then I proceeded to scour my cookbooks looking for a new recipe to try. Because I can’t use the stuff in the can when there are so many recipes out there just waiting to be discovered. I know, I need intervention. 🙂

Ingredients needed:

• lean ground beef (I haven’t tried it with ground chicken, but if that’s your thing, go for it!)
• Italian sausage (Adds incredible flavor! In a pinch ground pork sausage can be used, but it isn’t quite as tasty.)
• canned crushed tomatoes (If you can’t find them, you can used canned diced tomatoes. Petite diced work well, but if you use the regular ones, pulse them a couple times in the blender first.)
• small green pepper (The green peppers at the store are usually large, so I just use half of one.)
• onion (I use regular yellow onions.)
• carrots (I know it sounds strange in pasta sauce, but they add a nice sweet flavor, and since they are finely grated, they disintegrate in the sauce.)
• tomato sauce (If you use low sodium, you may need to add extra salt.)
• sugar (offsets the acid of the tomatoes)
• Italian seasoning
• ground sage
• dried parsley flakes
• garlic (I used fresh garlic, but dried minced garlic works too.)
• Salt and pepper

BROWN MEATS: I like to use a non stick skillet to brown the ground beef and sausage. I use a ladle to scoop out most of the fat, and after that I use a paper towel to soak up any remaining fat.

CHOP VEGETABLES: While the meat is cooking, chop the onion and green pepper, and peel & grate the carrots.

ADD TO CROCK POT: Transfer the meat to your slow cooker, and add the remaining ingredients. 

COOK: I like to let it cook on low heat all day long, but you can cook your slow cooker spaghetti sauce on HIGH  for about 3-4 hours if you prefer.

SERVE: Just before serving, cook up your pasta in some salted boiling water. Serve the hot sauce over your pasta. I typically use spaghetti noodles, but I have also served it over rotini noodles.

LEFTOVERS? YOU CAN FREEZE THE PASTA SAUCE.

Thankfully, this spaghetti sauce freezes really well. I like to cool it completely in the fridge, then scoop it into heavy duty freezer ziplock bags. It will last for 3-4 months in the freezer.

However, if you just have a small amount left over, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

I DON’T HAVE A SLOW COOKER. CAN I COOK IT ON THE STOVE INSTEAD? -Yes, you can! Just add a cup of water and simmer in a large pot for 1-2 hours. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH MEATY SPAGHETTI:

• At our house, spaghetti is almost always served with a tossed green salad, and sometimes corn.
• Soft Garlic Knots go perfectly with any Italian meal. 
• Garlic Cheddar Breadsticks are great for soaking up that extra sauce on your plate.
• My family LOVES these Cheesy Focaccia Bread Sticks.

MORE TASTY CROCK POT DINNER RECIPES:

• Crockpot Roast Beef (makes its own gravy)
• Best Crock Pot Pulled Pork
• Crock Pot Taco Beef Over Noodles
• Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie
• Glazed Crockpot Chicken

MEATY CROCK POT SPAGHETTI SAUCE RECIPE

Yield: 16 servings

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

Print

Rich and meaty spaghetti sauce that cooks in a slow cooker.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 8 hours

Total Time 8 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 cup finely grated carrots
• 5 8 oz cans tomato sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp ground sage
• 1 tsp dry parsley flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Brown hamburger and sausage in a large skillet.
2. Drain off the fat and transfer to a 5 or 6 quart crock pot.
3. Add remaining ingredients and cook on LOW for about 8 hours, or on HIGH for about 4 hours.
4. Serve over hot spaghetti noodles.

Notes

-This can also be made on the stove. Just add a cup of water and simmer in a large pot for 1-2 hours. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn a small amount from your purchase, no cost to you.

• 
  Ikea Grater with Container, Blue
• 
  GreenPan 5QT Ceramic Non-Stick Covered Saute Pan
• 
  Hamilton Beach Portable 6-Quart Slow Cooker 

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 442mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 15g

Nutrition information does not include pasta.

(originally published 5/19/2009, updated May 2020)

See all my BEEF RECIPES.