Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
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This is the ONLY way to make this! Even the pasta gets cooked right in the crockpot! SO stinking easy, right?
I’m finally back home.
I went from Arkansas to Minneapolis to a two-day shoot in Los Angeles to Ecuador and then Big Sur. All in a span of 2 1/2 weeks.
Not to mention but we were actually delayed at the Monterey airport on Sunday for over 4 hours (this is the closest airport to Big Sur). And to give you some perspective, we could have driven back to LA from Monterey in 5 hr and 17 min.
It’s been rough to be away from home for so long to say the least.
But, I am home with Butters nonetheless. And this giant crockpot of spaghetti and meatballs.
It’s such a classic cozy dish, perfect for this time of year. And it’s even better because you can make this right in your crockpot.
Just let it simmer and cook low and slow for 7-8 hours, stirring in the pasta and letting that cook for another 30-40 minutes.
Yes, the pasta gets cooked right in the crockpot so it legit doesn’t get any easier.
Serve with extra crusty bread, and maybe a few more meatballs covered in fresh Parmesan. It’s simply perfection.
Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 cup beef stock
- ½ medium sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
For the meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage, casing removed
- ½ cup Panko
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 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.
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