The easiest way to make this family favorite.
Here’s how to make spaghetti and meatballs in the slow cooker!
Isn’t it funny how, with so many different ways to serve pasta, we keep coming back to spaghetti and meatballs?
Maybe it’s partly nostalgia. We loved this dish as kids, so we still love it today, even though our tastes are wider now. Or maybe it’s because we know it’s something the whole family will eat. Or maybe it’s just that, simple as this meal is, it’s also really tasty.
Whatever the reason, spaghetti and meatballs is a classic we serve over and over. So it’s nice to know an easy way to make it. And this version – Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs – is so easy it practically cooks itself.
All the ingredients are ready-made: frozen meatballs, dry spaghetti, canned tomatoes, canned beef broth, and sauce from a jar. And all you have to do with them is load them into the crock, give it a stir, and cook for two hours on high or 3-4 on low (Don’t let it go longer, or it gets mushy.)
If you don’t have two hours before dinnertime, that’s okay too. Just start the meatballs in the morning, add the noodles when you get home, and give it half an hour. Either way, it’s just about the easiest meal your family will ever gobble up.
Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs
DIRECTIONS:
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray to make clean-up easy. Place meatballs in the bottom of your slow cooker and pour beef broth over the top of meatballs.
- Place spaghetti on top of meatballs, break pasta is necessary. Make sure to criss cross the pasta so it doesn’t all clump together.
- Pour diced tomatoes and pasta sauce on top of spaghetti. Stir if needed to make sure the pasta is completely covered.
- Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 3-4 hours. Stir the pasta and meatballs together and let sit for 5 minutes while the extra liquid is absorbed.
- Serve garnished with fresh parsley and parmesan.
**If you let the dish cook longer than the recommended time the noodles will get very soft.
***If you won’t be home to eat the dish right away you can skip adding the noodles until about 30 minutes before you are ready to eat.
**** My one daughter loves her spaghetti extra saucy, so I make sure to have extra sauce on hand to add to hers. So if you love a super saucy spaghetti, grab another sauce to have on hand.
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Crockpot Spaghetti and Meatballs
Ingredients
- 20 oz package frozen meatballs
- 28 oz jar of your favorite sauce
- 1 can Italian style diced tomatoes
- 3 cups beef broth
- 16 oz dry spaghetti
Instructions
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray to make clean-up easy
- Place meatballs in the bottom of your slow cooker and pour beef broth over the top of meatballs.
- Place spaghetti on top of meatballs, break pasta is necessary. Make sure to criss cross the pasta so it doesn’t all clump together
- Pour diced tomatoes and pasta sauce on top of spaghetti. Stir if needed to make sure the pasta is completely covered.
- Cook on high for 2 hours. Stir the pasta and meatballs together and let sit for 5 minutes while the extra liquid is absorbed.
- Serve garnished with fresh parsley and parmesan.
Recipe Notes:
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
connie says
??–my boys hate tomato’s but love spaghetti. Do you think you could use crushed tomato’s instead? It would probably work out the same don’t you think? This would be awesome on practice nights!
Corey says
Sure! I would maybe throw is some seasoning with the crushed tomatoes. Minced garlic, and maybe some dried basil and parsly?
Fallon Sauberan says
Do you cover it with the lid and cook for 2 hours or no lid?
Kelsey says
This was so easy to make and my whole family loved it including my 5 year old and 10 month old. Definitely going to be a regular meal on rotation in our family!
pat farrell says
can I freze this recipe
Corey says
Yes you can Pat 🙂
Kash says
What if you are using fresh uncooked meatballs? How will the cooking time change?
Corey says
I have only made and tested the recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure.
Gayle campbell says
This was better than expected!
I usually make your Instant Pot version of this but tried the slow cooker recipe and we all loved it! Will definitely make this again. Did the high version for about 2 hours and absolutely delicious with a salad & some garlic naan bread! 😋😋
Arlene T says
Do you have to use frozen meatballs? Or Can make
Fresh meatballs?
Thank you so much
Marion says
At top of recipe you say cook time is 3 hours. Yet in your instructions you say cook 2 hours. I’m confused???
Corey says
Hi Marion. It is 2 hours on HIGH or 3-4 on LOW. I hope that helps 🙂
Melanie Gordon says
Made recipe. My boyfriend loved it. Can it be made without meatballs? Thank you.