This Homemade Slow Cooker Meat Sauce for Spaghetti is a flavorful, tomato-based sauce full of ground beef and sausage, zesty onion, flavorful garlic, and a tasty blend of Italian spices for a spaghetti sauce that will become your family's new favorite.
Spaghetti has always been part of the weeknight dinner rotation at my house. Everyone loves it, it is easy to make, and it makes a large batch, making it a perfect family meal. If you love spaghetti as much as we do, but not so much the premade jar of sauce, this Slow Cooker Meat Sauce recipe is perfect for you. It is packed with great flavor, and fresh meat, and doesn't have all of the icky preservatives that come in the store-bought spaghetti sauce.
An added bonus to this recipe is that it is made in a slow cooker, so all of the work is done ahead of time! Slow cooker meals just make everything so much easier. All you have to do in the morning is cook your meat and combine everything in the slow cooker. That's it! You just let it cook, then toss it with your favorite pasta and top with parmesan. I don't think that it gets any easier than that!
Why You'll Love This Homemade Slow Cooker Meat Sauce for Spaghetti
- It is extremely simple to make.
- The spice combination gives this sauce incredible flavor.
- It tastes much better than store-bought sauce.
- You don't have to do much work to make this spaghetti sauce.
- It makes a large batch of sauce, making it a great option for a family dinner.
- Your whole family, kids included, will love this meat sauce.
Equipment Needed To Make This Slow Cooker Meat Sauce
- Slow Cooker
- Large Skillet
- Wooden Spoon or Spatula
Ingredients For Your Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- Ground Beef & Italian Sausage
- Yellow Onion
- Butter
- Garlic
- Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Paste & Tomato Sauce
- Black Pepper
- Brown Sugar
- Oregano, Basil, & Parsley
- Red Pepper
- Beef Broth
How To Make Crock Pot Spaghetti Meat Sauce
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage and ground beef use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat. Cook until completely browned 7-10 minutes. Then drain and add to the slow cooker.
- Add onion, butter, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, black pepper, brown sugar, oregano, basil, parsley, crushed red pepper, and beef broth. Stir until well combined.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours and on low for 8 hours.
- Serve over your favorite pasta and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
What to Serve/Pair with Your Slow Cooker Meat Sauce
Serve this meat sauce with your favorite pasta and top with parmesan cheese. If you enjoy having bread with your pasta, make these Sheetpan Breadsticks. They taste delicious dipped into the sauce. For a salad, my favorite pairing with this meat sauce is this Strawberry Spinach Salad. It's light and sweet and isn't so overbearing that you'll be too full to eat your spaghetti. When I serve spaghetti, I like to pair it with a classic dessert. My recent go-to has been these Best Chocolate Chip Cookies. You can never go wrong with a chocolate chip cookie!
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Ground turkey can be used in place of ground beef.
- For a little added flavor, use Italian-style canned tomatoes in place of plain canned tomatoes.
- If you like your sauce a little spicy, add a dash of cayenne pepper into the mix.
How To Reheat & Store Homemade Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
Best Way To Store Slow Cooker Meat Sauce Leftover
If you have any leftover meat sauce, you will want to let it cool completely and then transfer it into a sealed, air-tight container.
How Long Will Slow Cooker Meat Sauce for Spaghetti Last In the Fridge?
If this sauce is stored in the proper container, it will last for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Can I Freeze Homemade Meat Sauce?
Yes, you can freeze this meat sauce! Once it has cooled, put it into a freezer-safe container (I like to use a freezer bag) and label it with the date. It will last for up to 6 weeks if properly stored in the freezer.
How To Reheat Slow Cooker Meat Sauce
To reheat this sauce, you can either place it in a pan on the stove until it is warm, or you can place it back in the slow cooker for several hours until it is warm. For frozen meat sauce, thaw it completely in the fridge prior to reheating.
FAQs
If you have already tossed your sauce and pasta together, you can still store the leftovers in the fridge. They will last for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that the texture of the pasta may not be as good as it was when it was fresh, but it will be packed with flavor from the sauce.
Nope! Add brown sugar if you like your spaghetti sauce to be a little sweeter, and leave it out if you don't.
I highly recommend using the beef broth for this sauce recipe. The flavors just pair better with the meat than a chicken broth would.
Other Recipes You'll Love
- Crock Pot Lazy Lasagna with Ravioli
- Slow Cooker Chicken Casserole (With Ritz Crackers)
- Easy, Cheesy Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes
- Creamy Slow Cooker Spinach Tomato Sausage Tortellini Soup
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Slow Cooker Spaghetti Meat Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb Italian Sausage
- 1½ cups yellow onion (diced)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce (do not drain)
- 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
- 1½ tsp black pepper
- 1½ tbsp brown sugar (optional)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1½ tbsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- 1½ cups beef broth
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add Italian sausage and ground beef use a wooden spoon or spatula to break up the meat. Cook until completely browned 7-10 minutes. Then drain and add to the slow cooker.
- Add onion, butter, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, black pepper, brown sugar, oregano, basil, parsley, crushed red pepper, and beef broth. Stir until well combined.
- Put the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours and on low for 8 hours.
- Serve over your favorite pasta and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
*Nutrition information is an estimate. It may vary based on ingredients, brands, and changes in cooking methods listed in the recipe. If you need exact ingredient numbers, I recommend calculating them with your preferred nutrition calculator.
Peggy Mc says
What size slow cooker did you use?
Ryan Allen says
I use a 6-quart slow cooker. It makes it easy to stir everything together without making a mess.
ChelsO says
This sauce was the bomb. Left-overs tasted even better. We served over angel hair pasta one night and ravioli the next.
Ryan Allen says
So glad that you like it. I always make extra and freeze it.