My easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meat Sauce is made with only 3 ingredients that are pantry staples and easy to find. This is a budget-friendly, 1-pot dinner that families and picky eaters both love. There's no preparation other than dumping the ingredients into the crockpot so it makes it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
You can customize this simple meal by adding diced vegetables, adding extra seasonings to the sauce or using ground chicken or turkey. It's so versatile so make it your own with what your family likes or what you have in the fridge or pantry already. I love dinners that make busy nights easier, and this meal is one of those. It's the lazy version of classic spaghetti that still tastes good- no standing over the stove needed.
Table Of Contents
Why I Love This Recipe
- 3-ingredients that are pantry staples make this a great dinner when you're low on groceries and can't get to the store
- It's budget-friendly
- One-pot meal
- Picky-eater approved
- You can customize it by adding vegetables or a different pasta shape
You can make a spaghetti and meat sauce in the pressure cooker if you didn't plan to make this ahead, too. It takes barely any time and it's still a one-pot dinner. If you love easy crockpot recipes, check out this pepper steak and beef pot roast that are just as simple.
Ingredients
- Ground beef
- Spaghetti sauce: use your favorite sauce or make a homemade spaghetti sauce.
- Pasta: spaghetti, rotinini, penne, etc. Any shape pasta works.
How To Make Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
- Add the ground beef, sauce and 3 cups of water to the slow cooker.
- Set to low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- With 20 minutes left, add the pasta and stir to make sure it's covered in the liquid. Cover and cook until pasta is soft, adding more water if needed.
- Serve with some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top and enjoy!
Kristina's Tips
- The sauce will be watery in the beginning because of the extra water added. This is okay because the pasta will absorb it later on. Thinning out the tomato sauce early on also keeps it from burning. You may also need to add more than 3 cups of broth.
- Throw in some chopped vegetables to make it heartier.
- Use beef broth instead of water or add an Italian seasoning blend to make it even more flavorful.
Tested Variations
- Use a different protein: Italian sausage, ground chicken and turkey are just as great as ground beef. They'll both make the recipe a little leaner but won't change the taste significantly.
- Vegetable add-ins: I've added diced carrots, peas and chopped spinach to the sauce. I like trying to hide the veggies from my kids who refuse vegetables as side dishes.
How To Store and Reheat
Fridge: store in a covered container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: you can store this is the freezer for up to 6 months but the pasta will become a lot softer. When you reheat it the texture may not be as enjoyable as it was when you ate it fresh.
Reheat: use the microwave to warm and if frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight or use the defrost setting on your microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Italian sausage, ground turkey, ground chicken and diced chicken all work.
Yes! That's what's convenient about this recipe. You don't need to take the extra step of cooking the pasta before adding it. You can if you'd like but don't use the 2 cups of water. Just boil the pasta on the stove and add it to the sauce when it's finished cooking.
Recipe
3-Ingredient Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 5 cups spaghetti sauce or two 24 ounce jars
- 1 lb pasta
Instructions
- Add the ground beef, sauce and 3 cups of water to the slow cooker. Cover and set to low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- With 20 minutes left, add the pasta and stir to make sure it's covered by the liquid. Cover and cook until pasta is soft, adding more water if needed.
- Serve with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
Notes
- Fridge: store in a covered container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: you can store this is the freezer for up to 6 months but the pasta will become a lot softer. When you reheat it the texture may not be as enjoyable as it was when you ate it fresh.
- Reheat: use the microwave to warm and if frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight or use the defrost setting on your microwave.
- The sauce will be watery in the beginning because of the extra water added. This is okay because the pasta will absorb it later on. Thinning out the tomato sauce early on also keeps it from burning. You may also need to add more than 3 cups.
- Throw in some chopped vegetables to make it heartier.
- Use beef broth instead of water or add an Italian seasoning blend to make it even more flavorful.
Nutrition
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