If you’ve never made your own spaghetti and meatballs, this is a delicious recipe, and the slow cooker takes care of the long simmer for you.
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce with Meatballs
Prep Time: 40 minutes | Cook Time: 5-6 hours | Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- SAUCE:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- MEATBALLS:
- 1 1/2 pound ground meat (ground beef, pork, turkey, or a combination)
- 1 cup dry bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan chese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute about 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker and add the remaining sauce ingredients. Cover and turn on high while you make the meatballs.
- In a large bowl, add all meatball ingredients except the olive oil. Gently combine the mixture with a fork or your hands. Form mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add meatballs (as many as fit - you may have to cook in batches) and brown lightly on all sides.
- Add meatballs to sauce in the slow cooker and stir to cover meatballs with sauce. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove bay leaf and serve over penne pasta or your favorite noodles.
