Crockpot Spaghetti With Ground Beef
Beef sauce cooks all day on LOW; broken spaghetti goes in for the last 25 minutes on HIGH with an extra cup of stock.
Crockpot Spaghetti With Ground Beef
Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes6
hours55
minutesBeef sauce cooks all day on LOW; broken spaghetti goes in for the last 25 minutes on HIGH with an extra cup of stock.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef stock, plus 1 cup for the pasta
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 oz dry spaghetti, broken in half
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Directions
- Brown the beef with the onion in a skillet until no pink remains; raw mince dropped in steams grey.
- Drain the fat and stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Tip the beef into a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the marinara, crushed tomatoes, 1 cup stock, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours.
- Switch to HIGH 25 minutes before serving and stir in the second cup of stock.
- Break the spaghetti in half and push it under the sauce so every piece is covered.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 25 minutes, stirring once at the 15 minute mark.
- Check a strand; it should be just tender, since it keeps softening in the pot.
- Stir in the Parmesan, scatter the parsley and serve right away.
Notes
- Set a timer for the pasta, not the dish. The pasta has about 15 minutes of margin.
Why Crockpot Spaghetti With Ground Beef is timed this way
The sauce gets the long cook. The pasta only needs 25 minutes. Browning the beef first keeps the sauce clean and avoids greasy gray bits. Breaking the noodles lets them sit under the sauce.
Browning beef first gives a deeper flavor than dropping it in raw. A second cup of stock goes in when the pasta does, because dry noodles drink liquid quickly. Push the broken spaghetti under the sauce so every piece cooks in the same heat.
Swaps and a warning
Ground turkey works in place of beef, but brown it well. Penne can replace spaghetti if you add a couple of minutes. Do not use fresh pasta, which turns to paste in the pot.
Serving it
Garlic bread and a salad are all it needs. A little extra Parmesan at the table finishes it.
Mistakes and leftovers
Walking away. Set a timer for the pasta. Overcooked spaghetti turns soft fast. Leftover pasta keeps absorbing sauce, so add a splash of stock when reheating. Keeps 3 days in the fridge.
Crockpot Spaghetti With Ground Beef at a glance
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 6 hours 55 minutes
- Servings: 6 servings
- Ingredients: 12, led by ground beef, yellow onion, garlic, jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
Tips for Crockpot Spaghetti With Ground Beef
Set a timer for the pasta, not the dish. The pasta has about 15 minutes of margin.
Crockpot Spaghetti With Ground Beef FAQ
How long does Crockpot Spaghetti With Ground Beef take?
Crockpot Spaghetti With Ground Beef takes 6 hours 55 minutes of cooking after 20 minutes of prep.
How many people does Crockpot Spaghetti With Ground Beef serve?
This recipe makes 6 servings.
What do I need to make Crockpot Spaghetti With Ground Beef?
12 ingredients, led by ground beef, yellow onion, garlic, jar (24 oz) marinara sauce. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
