Crockpot Spaghetti
This Crockpot Spaghetti cooks the noodles and meat sauce all together in your slow cooker for an easy, hands-off dinner. Just brown the meat, layer everything in the pot, and let it do the work.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
- 48 ounces marinara sauce 6 cups
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 16 ounces spaghetti noodles uncooked
- 4 cups water or low sodium chicken/beef broth
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and sausage, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. Cook until no longer pink, then drain off the excess grease.
- Pour one jar of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 6 to 7 quart slow cooker.
- Add the cooked meat on top of the sauce.
- Pour the remaining jar of sauce over the meat, then add the water. Sprinkle the bay leaves, basil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt over the top. No need to stir.
- Place the dry spaghetti noodles on top and gently push them down so they are fully submerged in liquid.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 2½ hours, stirring the noodles gently about halfway through to prevent clumping.
- The spaghetti is done when the noodles are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Notes
- Don't skip browning the meat. It adds flavor and improves the texture.
- Use a quality pasta. A sturdier noodle holds up better in the slow cooker.
- Layering matters. Sauce first, then meat, sauce, water, spices, and noodles on top.
- Stir halfway through. This keeps the noodles from sticking together.
- Check early to avoid mushy noodles. Start checking around 2 hours. Pull it as soon as the pasta is tender.
- Add broth for extra flavor. Swap some or all of the water for low-sodium chicken or beef broth.
- Keeping warm. You can hold on Warm for up to 1 hour. Add a splash of water if it dries out.
- Storage. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended as the noodles may become mushy.
Nutrition
Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 1583mg | Potassium: 1076mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 991IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 5mg
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