Simmer this rich and flavorful Slow Cooked Spaghetti Sauce all day and you'll have dinner on the table in no time flat.
Slow Cooked Spaghetti Sauce is Rich and Flavorful
Slow cooking is my absolute favorite way to make spaghetti sauce. AS you know, pasta in any form and particular spaghetti makes a tasty quick meal any day of the week. When it comes to quick meals slow cookers often get overlooked. It sounds like a bit of an oxymoron, I know. However, slow cooking, really does make meal time easier and it's such a simple way to get that all day simmered flavor into your meal. It's a valuable energy saver, too.
Helpful Tips for Making Spaghetti Sauce in a Slow Cooker
- While I know it may seem unusual, don't shy away from the brown sugar. It neutralizes the acidic taste of the tomatoes and lends a richness to the sauce that makes it so delicious.
- If you'd like to change up the flavorful a little, toss in ¾ cup of pepperoni minis 2 hours before the sauce is finished cooking. Kids always love a surprise ingredient.
- This recipe can be easily doubled, and it freezes beautifully making it a time saver for future meals. Divide into desired size portions depending on your family size, and it's ready for a meal in a snap.
- Add a wedge salad and garlic bread to round out your Italian night at home.
Other Slow Cooker Recipes to Try
Slow cooking is forever a go-to technique in my kitchen. A few other recipes you may enjoy trying from the MSSk recipe index:
- Slow Cooker Three Meat Lasagna
- Slow Cooked Italian Beef Hoagies
- Slow Cooked smothered Swiss Steak
- Crockpot Meatloaf recipe from The Chunky Chef
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Helpful Kitchen Items:
Slow Cooked Spaghetti Sauce
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 343kcal
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lb extra lean ground beef
- 8 oz sweet or spicy Italian sausage
- 1 large sweet onion finely diced
- olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 ½ Tbsp dry Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ½-1 Tbsp coarse sea salt [more or less to your taste]
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 24 oz jar marinara sauce [i.e.Bertolli Five Cheese]
- 2 8 oz cans basil garlic & oregano tomato sauce
- 1 14.5 oz can basil garlic & oregano diced tomatoes
- 1 6 oz can basil garlic & oregano tomato paste
- 3-4 Tbsp brown sugar adjust to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
- 1-2 16 oz packages thin spaghetti cooked to al dente (adjust amount based on servings needed)
Instructions
- On the stove top in a large skillet, over medium-high heat, brown ground beef, Italian sausage and diced onion in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until no pink remains..
- Drain any excess fat from the pan, then add minced garlic, dried Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, sea salt and black pepper.
- Meanwhile, pour all of the remaining ingredients: marinara sauce, tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, and brown sugar into a 6 quart slow cooker.
- Add cooked ground beef, Italian sausage, onion and seasonings to the slow cooker and give it a good stir to blend the ingredients together.
- Place the lid firmly on top, and set the slow cooker on low. Cook for 6-8 hours.
- Just before serving mix in ¼ cup of chopped fresh basil. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed.
- Serve over hot spaghetti.
Notes
Don't shy away from the brown sugar. It neutralizes the acidic taste of the tomatoes and lends a richness to the sauce that makes it so delicious! If you'd like to change it up a little, toss in ¾ cup of pepperoni minis 2 hours before the sauce is finished cooking. Kids always love a surprise ingredient!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 914mg | Potassium: 845mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 403IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 5mg
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My name is Melissa and I'm the Creator of Melissa's Southern Style Kitchen. Cooking, baking, developing recipes and kitchen tips is my passion. I love sharing my dishes and connecting with people through the food that I create.
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