Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce is an easy crock pot recipe that's hearty and delicious. This slow cooker beef recipe will become your new go-to!
When morning walks start requiring a hoodie, neighborhood trees begin to change color, and Halloween candy starts appearing on grocery store shelves — I know crock pot season has officially arrived!
Not to say you can’t use a crock pot in the summertime – I mean it’s perfect in that it doesn’t heat up the house – but I usually associate crock pots with a warm and hearty dinner, like Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce, which goes much better with the cooler temps that are inevitably heading our way.
We had “spaghetti night” every Monday when I was growing up, and this yummy tomato sauce simmered with herbs and ground beef all day totally took me back.
Except now I’m not 12, kicking my brother under the table, and getting told NOBODY IS EXCUSED UNTIL THEIR PLATE IS LICKED CLEAN! INCLUDING YOUR WARM MILK!
Now, normally I skip over crock pot recipes that require cooking outside the CP, but I made an exception for this spaghetti sauce. After all, it’s just browning 1lb ground beef in a skillet before draining and adding it to the crock pot with 1 medium onion.
To the beef and onion, add 28oz crushed tomatoes, 8oz tomato sauce, and 6oz tomato paste, which will cook down to create a fabulously rich and luscious tomato sauce.
Finally, add zee spices that will flavor the sauce: 2 teaspoons each dried oregano and basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme,
2 small bay leaves, 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, and 3/4 teaspoons salt.
Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a spicy kick (or leave it out – totally your call!) followed by 3 minced garlic cloves.
Mix everything up – then set it, and forget it, baby! That is to say, cook on low for 5-6 hours…
When time is up, stir in the magical ingredient that will take your sauce from good, to great: 2 Tablespoons butter. Don’t leave it out!
Scoop over cooked pasta then dig in to this easy, comforting spaghetti supper!
I cannot praise crock pot meals enough. I usually add everything to the pot at night, then place it on the base and turn it on in the morning. Could not be easier!
Some crock pot meals can be heavy and gloopy, but Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce is right on the money. Give it a try sometime!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- salt and pepper
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, optional
- 2 Tablespoons butter
Directions
- Season ground beef with salt and pepper then brown with onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain then add to a 6 quart crock pot.
- Add all the ingredients except for the butter, stir to combine, then cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove bay leaves, stir in butter, then serve over cooked pasta.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Awesome sauce! Have you ever made the sauce starting with raw meat? I know, random.
I haven’t – I don’t think the crock pot would get everything cooked through and to a safe eating temp!
I just discovered your blog a couple of days ago and I am so enjoying your playful and comprehensible way of describing food. I get inspired, hungry and laugh every time I come here. Thanks for sharing these recipes and your enthusiasm!
Interesting to see the difference in brands from where you are the the west coast. I hope this recipe can sit in the pot on low for 8-10 hours as that is my typical work day.
This is definitely going on my list of things to do! Looks great!
Just curious if garlic salt actually makes this bread better (vs. garlic powder) or if you just used it here because that’s what you buy. I try to not use salt in/on things that don’t need it, so in all my years of cooking, I have never actually purchased garlic salt — always garlic powder.
I like my garlic bread on the salty side, but garlic powder would totally work too!
I love this recipe and I can’t wait to try it!!! I love throwing a little turkey (I like the butterball ones best) with cut up potatoes, carrots and onions in the crock pot and letting it slow cook alllll day :) I’m kindof excited for crock pot weather, if only it didn’t have to turn into down winter coat weather *sigh*
I love it that your picture has a glass of wine instead of milk :) We never had milk with dinner because we had too many kids and milk was expensive. Lucky for me since I was a milk hater until I became an adult. I still don’t put milk in my cereal but will drink it on the side.
I am ready to pull out the crock pot again because it does make dinner much easier. This recipe will be added to the list!
This looks wonderful! I think we’ll have to try this Friday!
Totally can relate to the warm a$$ milk. To this day I do not drink white milk because of it. I’m trying really hard now at age 34 because my boys are starting to catch on that its chocolate not white milk in mommy’s cup. oops.
Your pictures and dinner look WONDERFUL!
I love using the slow cooker for BBQ Chicken, Salsa Chicken, Veggie Bean Chili… There are so many possibilities!
Love crock pot meals! I’m moving to a new apartment in just over a week, and when my mom asked me what I needed I had a crock pot at the top of the list. :-)
This looks so good. I just made your crockpot tortilla soup and it was amazing.
I do the same thing for my garlic bread, only I visit the day old section @ Wal-Mart and get the large Italian loaves for $.96. I cut them into 3 sections, each section gets us 5 slices, which is perfect for supper and a couple leftover for…leftovers. I just did this the other day and I have 6 meals worth of bread already pre-sliced & frozen!