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Crockpot spaghetti is prepped in minutes and cooked low-and-slow for an easy homemade dinner any night of the week!
We Love Slow Cooker Meals!
Crock-pot meals are among some of our favorite dinners. They can be prepped in the morning for an easy dinner idea on busy nights!
Our classic spaghetti recipe is already a hit on the site, so we knew a crock pot version would be great too! It’s simple, delicious and loved by the entire fam.
Why we love it:
- Prepped in minutes. Just dump and go in the morning and the crockpot does all of the work – one of our favorite family dinner ideas!
- Make a batch for later. This makes enough sauce for 2 pounds of pasta. Freeze the extra sauce, or make a double batch and freeze half for later – twice the meals with half the work!
- Simple ingredients. Many of the ingredients are pantry staples or things you have on hand for fabulous flavor and a perfect dinner idea for kids any night of the week.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 8 hours
- 1 pound ground beef – Keep a few packages of cooked ground beef/sausage in the freezer to make this even easier! You can also use ground chicken or ground turkey.
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage – Omit the addition of ground beef and Italian sausage and make an Italian Meatball Recipe to use in the sauce.
- 1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil – to use fresh herbs, triple the amount, and add during the last hour of cooking.
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon sugar – use granulated or brown sugar
Fresh Tomatoes
Substitute 13 fresh tomatoes (about 9 pounds). Prep the tomatoes by removing the skin and dicing them into quarters. Chop half of the tomatoes in a blender to resemble stewed tomatoes. Add to the pot. Dice the remaining tomatoes.
How to Make Crockpot Spaghetti
- MEAT. Add 1 pound each of ground beef and Italian sausage to a large skillet over medium heat.
- Cook, breaking up into small chunks, until browned and cooked through.
- Remove the meat from the skillet using a slotted spoon, and transfer to a crock pot.
- SAUCE. Add 1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, 1 (6-ounce) tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 1 tablespoon sugar to the crock pot and stir to combine.
- SLOW COOK. Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles. Garnish with fresh herbs.
Instant Pot Spaghetti
- Use the sauté button to brown your meat. Drain and excess oil.
- Add remaining ingredients. Plus ½ cup beef broth to ensure you have enough liquid to pressurize the pot.
- Do not mix the ingredients. Just add them one on top of the other without mixing.
- Lock on the lid, place the valve to seal, and cook on High pressure for 20 minutes.
- Natural release for about 15 minutes, then manual release the remaining pressure.
Complete the Meal
- SIDE DISHES: Olive Garden Breadsticks, Caprese Kabobs, Cheesy Garlic Bread
- DESSERTS: Italian Cookies, Cream Puffs, Dirt Cake Parfaits
- More spaghetti recipes: Spaghetti Casserole, Spaghetti Pie, Chili Spaghetti
More collections: Italian Dinner Recipes, Easy Dinner Ideas, Crockpot Dinner Ideas
Crockpot Spaghetti
Crockpot spaghetti is prepped in minutes and cooked low-and-slow for a quick homemade dinner any night of the week!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
- 1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Add 1 pound each of ground beef and Italian sausage to a large skillet over medium heat.
- Cook, breaking up into small chunks, until browned and cooked through. Remove the meat from the skillet using a slotted spoon, and transfer to a crock pot.
- Add 1 (29-ounce) can tomato sauce, 1 (14.5-ounce) diced tomatoes, 1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, 1 (6-ounce) tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 1 tablespoon sugar to the crock pot and stir to combine.
- Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. Serve with cooked spaghetti noodles. Garnish with fresh herbs.
Video
Notes
STORE. This makes quite a bit of sauce. I like to store half the sauce in the freezer to use another day. Keep cooled sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3-6 months.
Reheat large portions in a crock pot or saucepan and smaller portions in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 234kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 19g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 56mg, Sodium: 303mg, Potassium: 204mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 21mg, Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How much pasta will this sauce cover?
- This spaghetti recipe makes enough sauce for about two pounds of spaghetti (equivalent to two 16-ounce packages of noodles) or your favorite pasta such as angel hair, penne, bow tie, and more.
cook the pasta in the sauce?
- I recommend cooking pasta separately to avoid gummy noodles. You can cook pasta ahead of time and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
- To reheat, drop the pasta into a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes then add the sauce on top.
Can I add veggies?
- Adding shredded carrots is particularly good since they’ll also help combat the acidity. Mushrooms and spinach are easy additions. You can also saute onions, bell peppers, or celery before adding it to the sauce.
What cheese to Use?
- Top with your favorite cheese such as parmesan cheese, pecorino romano, mozzarella cheese, or another favorite.
Add flavor to my spaghetti sauce?
- Adding more of the spices listed in the recipe will enhance the flavor. Spice it up with garlic salt, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce.
How to store crock pot spaghetti sauce?
- Keep cooled spaghetti sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3-6 months.
- Reheat large portions in a crock pot or saucepan, or smaller portions in the microwave.
Easy to make and who doesn’t love a delicious spaghetti sauce that you can throw in the crockpot and be ready by dinner time! Whole family loves this!
YUM – I’m always looking for a delicious recipe like this!
Love a crockpot recipe! Spaghetti is always such an easy and fulfilling meal in our house.
I have a pretty good crock pot recipe, but this one was delicious as well. The addition of the sausage really adds a delicious flavor.
I just loved being able to throw it all in the crock pot and not having to worry about it when things get crazy around dinner time.
We love this crock pot version! Spaghetti is my go-to..my family loves it!
I love any recipe that goes in the crockpot. Mostly because its convienent and dinner is waiting for me.it helps that my family loves spaghetti!