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Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

Deliciously Cheesy, Creamy Comfort Food

Boy, oh boy.  This is a good one.  Not only is this crock pot spaghetti and meatballs delicious.  It’s completely and totally NO COOK.  And I mean no pre-cooking anything.

Want to hear a little secret?  Well, it’s sorta a secret.  I’ve wanted to try making this for years.  Because seriously.  A completely no-cook spaghetti and meatballs recipe for the slow cooker…if it’d work) that’d it would be the ultimate comfort food “toss and go” recipe.

If it’d work… that’d be one of those ultimate comfort food “toss and go” recipes.  But honestly, I just didn’t think it would work.  I’m very happy to say I was wrong!Slow Cooker Meatballs Spaghetti

Why Cook Another Crock Pot Pasta Recipe?

Well, here’s it is.  Slow Cooker Kitchen takes requests.  I can’t do all of them.  But try as much as possible.  And we got the request.  Not once, but twice over the course of a few weeks.

For what you ask?  Of course, crock pot spaghetti and meatballs.  The completely no precooking kind.

So after thinking “dang it” for a bit, it was time to research.  So it began.  Cookbooks, other websites, and a couple friends were all consulted.

How to Keep the Spaghetti from Gooping Together

And all the cookbooks I own (and that’s a lot mind you) precook their pasta.  Every human did too…or added it later.

But the only true no pre-cooking recipes were on other websites.  And there were several complaints too.  Not all or anything.  Just a few here and there.  All about the pasta sorta globbing together.

And that’s exactly why it hadn’t been cooked here yet.  I was worried about the globby pasta thing.  It’s rather gross when that happens.

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Eureka Moment!

Then on came the brain light bulb.  Most all crockpot casseroles are layered or stirred up well.  That’s so the liquid can be evenly absorbed.

So I figured if it worked for the casseroles it should work for this.  And you can’t stir dry spaghetti noodles and them not break…so layers it was.

Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

And it worked!

Not only did it work… it worked great!  It’s creamy, cheesy and delicious.  I’ve actually been requested to never make spaghetti any other way again.

o I’ll be cooking up another recipe or two over the winter with ground beef and sausage.

Those won’t be a completely “no precooks” but they’ll still be yummy…so not so bad either :)

Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs Video

Here’s the step-by-step video…for those folks that’d rather see it done pretty quick…

Step-by-Step Crock Pot Meatballs and Spaghetti

Like I was saying earlier…the biggest thing is making the layers.  The pasta needs to not touch too much and it needs to be kinda sprinkled in.  This recipe uses linguine noodles.

I am sure thick spaghetti noodles would work too.  But NOT angel hair for this. I’m pretty sure that would just turn to mush.

Step by Step Crock Pot Spaghetti

Ready to Eat or Not?

Now, you can dig in.  And it’s good!  The pasta is done and it’s creamy and yummy BUT…

Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs

If you’ve got another 20 minutes it’s better.  MUCH BETTER if you add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup beef broth and one more jar of spaghetti sauce.

Then just stir it up, cover and let it heat up.  It took about 20 more minutes to be heated all the way through on ours.

And this pot will feed 6 to 8 very hungry people.

Freezer Meal Prep

There is NO reason this can’t be a freezer meal.  I wouldn’t toss everything in a bag like a lot of our freezer meal ideas.  You could easily put the spaghetti sauce and beef broth in a bag and then tape it all together like I did in this Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie Recipe.  That’d work…

Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie! Find this & more yumminess @ https://www.slowcookerkitchen.com

But this recipe also freezes very well afterward too.  I honestly have no idea why.  Pasta usually doesn’t, but this did.  So FYI on that one too :)

Printable & Pinnable Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs Recipe

Here’s the printable crock pot spaghetti and meatballs.  Sure hope you like.  Let us know what you think!  And Rock That Crock!

Slow Cooker Meatballs Spaghetti
Print
Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 hrs
Total Time
5 hrs 5 mins
 
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Author: Gwen@SlowCookerKitchen
Ingredients
  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds meatballs whatever kind you like
  • 3 24 to 26- ounce jars of spaghetti sauce
  • 1 pound linguine or thick spaghetti noodles
  • 8 ounces Chive & Onion Cream Cheese
  • 1 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 3/4 to 1 1/2 cups beef broth or stock depending on how soupy you want your spaghetti
Instructions
  1. Oil or spray your crockpot insert
  2. Pour jar #1 of the pasta sauce and 1/2 cup of the beef broth in the bottom of the slow cooker
  3. Break the pasta in half. Sprinkle half of it on top the sauce (scatter it around so it's touching as little as possible)
  4. Pour in the meatballs and top with the other half of the pasta
  5. Spoon out chunks of the cream cheese and place them all around the crockpot
  6. Top with another pasta sauce and sprinkle on the mozzarella cheese
  7. Cover and cook on high for 3 1/2 to 5 hours (I've never tried it on low)
You can either stop here and eat or you can continue with the directions.
  1. Stopping here will give you more of a spaghetti casserole with a lot less sauce.
  2. If you want a more traditional, creamy cheesy pasta...continue with the directions below
Uncover and stir well
  1. Add as much of the pasta sauce and remaining beef broth to get the sauce to the consistency you prefer. I added another full jar of sauce and another 1/2 cup beef stock
  2. Cover and cook on low until heated (20 minutes or so); or even up to 2 hours if you have other stuff to do.
  3. If you're gonna be busy more than 2 hours, just turn it to warm and it's fine for several hours
Freezer Meal Directions:

  1. Use freezer tape to attach the meatball bag and the shredded cheese.

  2. Make a note on your label that you'll need pantry items: spaghetti sauce, spaghetti noodles, beef broth. And also note you'll need the cream cheese.

  3. Label and as per the expiration date on the frozen meatballs. Or 6 to 8 weeks if you're making homemade.

 

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Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Crockpot Spaghetti

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Meatballs

Other Recipes with Crock Pot Meatballs

If you’re in the mood for meatballs…we got you covered!

Crock Pot Meatballs and Ravioli Casserole

Crockpot Meatball Ravioli Casserole

This Slow Cooker Ravioli and Meatballs is a lot like the spaghetti and meatballs up above.  But it’s all in the Italian family so lots of it taste similar.  Another excellent point, 5 ingredients!

3-Ingredient Crockpot Meatballs Appetizer

easy slow cooker meatballs

If you’re looking for slow cooker meatballs but NOT Italian…here’s a recipe you might wanna try.

Lots of Meatball Recipes

9 Delicious Slow Cooker Meatball Recipes. Find this and other awesome crockpot recipes at https://www.slowcookerkitchen.com

And if you still want more crock pot meatballs…check out this page.  There are 9 more delicious meatball ideas here!

If you’re looking for spaghetti but aren’t in the crock pot mood…here’s a traditional baked spaghetti recipe you might enjoy too!
1 pound spaghetti 114 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced 3 onions, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme 4 tomatoes, juiced
1 cup water
114 cup ketchup
1 pinch salt
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (2 ounce) can black olives, drained
1 green bell pepper, sliced in rings”
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil. Saute garlic and onions in oil until tender. Stir in tomato paste, black pepper, cumin, thyme, tomato juice, water, ketchup and salt. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 15 minutes.
While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce. Stir in 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella. Pour all into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with the remaining mozzarella, sliced olives and bell pepper.
Bake in preheated oven 20 to 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.OR…how about making your own spaghetti sauce? Here’s a yummy looking option for ya :)

18 roma (plum) tomatoes
2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste 1/2 cup butter
4 cloves garlic, minced 5 bay leaves
1 large white onion, chopped 1 large zucchini, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 2 teaspoons chili powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese”
“Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Remove skins and return tomatoes to the pot and mash them. Stir in tomato paste and 2 cups water. Cover and simmer on low heat.
Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and bay leaves for 1 minute, then stir in onions; saute until onions are translucent. Stir in zucchini, green and red bell pepper and mushrooms. Slowly cook and stir for 5 to 7 minutes.
Stir vegetables into tomato sauce and add oregano, Italian seasoning, chili powder and brown sugar. Simmer over low heat for 6 to 8 hours. Stir in the ricotta cheese 10 minutes before serving.

And for the vegetarians in the crowd…here’s an option for you guys too!

1 pound spaghetti 3I4 cup margarine 1 onion, chopped
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1I2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream 15 large black olives, halved 1 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms
1I2 cup grated Parmesan cheese”
“In a large skillet melt 1I2 cup margarine over medium heat. Stir in onion, chopped tomatoes, and salt; simmer for 1I2 hour.
Meanwhile, in a large pot with boiling salted water cook pasta until al dente. Drain. Place cooked spaghetti in the bottom of a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
In a small saucepan melt 3 tablespoons of margarine over medium heat. Take off heat and quickly stir in 3 tablespoons of flour to make a paste. Return to heat and slowly stir in the milk. Cook on low, stirring often, until thick. Add heavy cream and continue to cook until slightly thickened.
Pour simmered tomato mix over top of spaghetti. Sprinkle on olive halves and mushrooms. Pour cream sauce on top. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake in a preheated 350 degree F (175 degrees C) oven for 30 minutes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sara says

    Loved your Crockpot Spaghetti & Meatballs video. It looks so yummy! Cannot wait to try it now! Thank you for sharing it with us.

    Sara

    Reply

  2. Christine says

    I got to this link from a page about freezer meals, but am confused as to when to freeze it. Do you make it all the way until then end then freeze it in pan? Seems the noodles would get mushy then.

    Reply

    • gwen says

      You can freeze it before or after. I wouldn’t freeze the uncooked pasta, there’d be no real reason.
      But in answer to your question, no. The cooked pasta did not get mushy. I froze it on 3 different occasions and there wasn’t an issue.
      Hopefully, you will get the same results if you try it. Best of luck.

      Reply

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