Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (Slow-Cooker)
Submitted by carlene
Slow cooker spaghetti meat sauce with blended vegetables hidden in the base. Ground beef, canned tomatoes, carrots, and onions simmer 8-10 hours for a deep, rich, thick sauce.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
620 minREADY
650 minThis slow cooker spaghetti sauce has a secret: carrots and onions get blended smooth with canned tomatoes in a blender before going into the crockery cooker. They disappear completely into the sauce over 8-10 hours, adding natural sweetness and body without anyone knowing vegetables are in there.
Two pounds of browned ground beef form the base, and a second can of tomatoes gets cut up (not blended) so you get some texture along with the smooth base. Tomato paste, basil, oregano, parsley, and a bay leaf round out the classic Italian-American seasoning.
A cornstarch slurry at the very end thickens the sauce into something that actually coats the pasta instead of pooling on the plate.
Kitchen Tips
- Brown the beef thoroughly and drain the fat before transferring to the slow cooker. Skipping this step means greasy sauce.
- Blend only one can of tomatoes with the vegetables. The second can should be cut up for texture contrast.
- Don’t add the cornstarch slurry until you switch to high heat at the end. It needs boiling liquid to activate and thicken.
- This recipe makes a big batch (feeds 16). Freeze leftovers in portions for easy weeknight dinners.
Variations
- Use half ground beef and half Italian sausage for a richer, more complex sauce.
- Add a splash of red wine when browning the beef for deeper flavor.
- Stir in a handful of sliced mushrooms during the last hour of cooking.
Ingredients
Directions
In skillet brown the ground beef; drain off excess fat.
Transfer meat to a crockery cooker.
In blender container place one can of tomatoes, undrained.
Add the onion, carrot and garlic.
Cover and blend until chopped; stir into meat in cooker.
Cut up the remaining can of tomatoes but do not drain; stir into meat mixture with tomato paste, parsley, bay leaf, sugar, basil, salt, oregano, and pepper.
Mix well. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 8 to 10 hours.
To serve, turn to high-heat setting.
Remove bay leaf. Cover and heat until bubbly, 10 minutes.
Blend cold water slowly into cornstarch; stir into tomato mixture.
Cover and cook 10 minutes longer.
Spoon over the spaghetti.
Pass the Parmesan cheese to sprinkle atop.
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