Ground Beef Spaghetti Sauce Slow Cooker
If you're looking for a hearty and delicious meal to serve your family or friends, try making slow cooker ground beef spaghetti sauce. This recipe is easy to make and full of flavor, and it's perfect for those busy weeknights when you don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. Plus, it's a great way to use up any ground beef you have on hand!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this slow cooker ground beef spaghetti sauce:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
Here's how to make this delicious ground beef spaghetti sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked ground beef to your slow cooker.
- Add the onion and garlic to the same skillet and cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes (if using), bay leaf, and water to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Discard the bay leaf before serving.
- Serve the spaghetti sauce over cooked spaghetti noodles and enjoy!
Tips
Here are a few tips to help you make the best slow cooker ground beef spaghetti sauce:
- If you're short on time, you can skip browning the ground beef and just add it directly to the slow cooker. However, browning the beef first will give it a better flavor.
- You can use fresh or canned tomatoes for this recipe. If you use fresh tomatoes, you'll need to chop them first.
- If you like your spaghetti sauce to be a little sweeter, you can add a teaspoon of sugar to the recipe.
- This recipe makes a lot of spaghetti sauce, so you can freeze any leftovers for later.
Conclusion
Slow cooker ground beef spaghetti sauce is a delicious and easy recipe that's perfect for busy weeknights. It's full of flavor and can be customized to suit your tastes. Give it a try and see how easy it is to make!