Lunch / Dinner
Slow-Cooker Spaghetti & Meatballs
You likely think of soups, stews, and braises when you think of slow cookers. But with a great meatball recipe and a highly-seasoned sauce, the slow cooker turns the spaghetti toppers into the easiest and tastiest cooked-all-day Italian meal, with just a little preparation up front.
Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS, COMBINE:
FOR THE SAUCE, HEAT:
STIR:
FOR THE SPAGHETTI, COOK:
If your grocery store carries meatloaf mix, you can substitute an equal amount for the ground chuck and ground pork.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425° with baking sheet inside.
For the meatballs, combine chuck, pork, Parmesan, bread crumbs, yogurt, garlic, dried basil, salt, and black pepper in a bowl.
Form mixture into 22 meatballs, 11⁄2 oz. each; carefully place on hot baking sheet. Bake meatballs 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes.
For the sauce, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add onions, carrots, garlic, tomato paste, oregano, and pepper flakes; cook until vegetables are lightly browned, 8–10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a 6- to 8-qt. slow cooker.
Stir tomatoes, tomato sauce, and wine into slow cooker.
Nestle meatballs in sauce; discard any drippings. Cover slow cooker and cook meatballs on high setting, 3–4 hours, or low setting, 5–6 hours. Skim fat from surface and discard. Season sauce with salt, black pepper, and sugar.
For the spaghetti, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain and serve with meatballs and sauce. Top servings with fresh basil and Parmesan.
Flip the meatballs halfway through high-heat roasting to brown both sides.
Simmer the meatballs in the sauce to add flavor to the sauce and finish cooking the meatballs.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 685
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 40%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Cholesterol 68mg 22%
Sodium 1062mg 44%
Carbs 69g 23%
Fiber 6g 24%
Protein 31g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.