Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs is an all-in-one meal! Perfect for a buffet-style meal or potluck! So easy and only 5 ingredients!
EASY CROCK POT SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS
For the longest time, I have been trying to figure out the best way to make spaghetti in a slow cooker. It took me a few tries and some were successful and others, not so much. It’s all about layering it the right way and making sure the noodles don’t come out in one big clump.
WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF CROCK POT TO USE FOR THIS RECIPE?
I definitely recommend an oval slow cooker. The deep round ones don’t allow you to spread everything out which is necessary for this recipe. A 4-6 quart oval slow cooker works great here. Want to make this in your Instant Pot? Try my INSTANT POT SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS recipe!
spaghetti sauce
water
spaghetti noodles
frozen meatballs
olive oil
Italian seasoning
minced garlic
dried basil (or fresh)
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS:
Updated to add: This recipe seems to have caused quite a lot of differing comments about the time it took to cook. After consulting with a number of recipe reviewers, we decided that the time was affected by the type of crock pot. Some crock pots heat up very quickly while others are very slow to heat. This can greatly affect the cooking time for this. So, unfortunately, I can only provide a range of cooking times for this particular recipe. It should take anywhere from 2-5 hours, depending on your slow cooker. You’ll have to use your best judgement on the time based on your particular slow cooker.
CROCK POT SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS
Print Pin RateIngredients
- 1 (24 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
- 4 cups water (vegetable or beef broth can also be used)
- 1 (16 oz) (1 lb) box spaghetti
- 1 (26 oz) bag frozen meatballs (24 count)
- olive oil
Optional sauce ingredients:
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil (or 2-3 leaves, fresh basil, torn)
Instructions
- In a 6 quart slow cooker, pour in jarred spaghetti sauce.
- Then add 4 cups of water. I just use the spaghetti jar and fill it up about one and half times to get 4 cups. Instead of water, try using vegetable broth or beef broth for a kick of flavor.
- Add in minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and basil.
- Break the spaghetti noodles in half and put in a large ziploc bag. Coat the spaghetti noodles with a drizzle of olive oil. Close the bag and gently move the noodles around until they are all coated. Then remove noodles from bag and put noodles on top of sauce mixture and gently push them down so they are slightly in the sauce. Then top with frozen meatballs. No need to stir these in. Just put them right on top.
- Cover and cook on low for about 2-5 hours (until noodles are soft and meatballs are heated through). Then give it all a gentle stir to combine and serve!
Nutrition
CRAVING MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS? GIVE THESE A TRY!
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Can you double the recipie for a large group in a regular size crock pot?
I can never find a good frozen meatball that tastes good. Any suggestion?
Donna, I made this dish this evening using Johnsonville frozen meatballs and we were really happy with the result and will be adding this dish to our regular rotation.
When using frozen meatballs in the past, I have found one of the ingredients to be ‘textured hydrolized soy protein’ which is chem-speak for meat substitute soybeans. These Johnsonville meatballs did not have that ingredient and were quite good and well seasoned. I think you all would enjoy.
How would you freeze this?
Hi Hannah, are you referring to before or after cooking?
3 1/2 hours (on low) seemed to be the magic time when I made this earlier in this week. It turned out great, and couldn’t be any easier to make.
Perfect!! Thanks a bunch Brad!!
Can this recipe be doubled easily in one crockpot? Has anyone doubled? What was your experience?
Has anyone tried it with fresh meatballs? As in I roll up ground beef and place on top to cook.
Hi Emily, it should work fine. Just make sure the meatballs aren’t too large and that you use a lean meat so you don’t get a lot of grease produced.
Better buy two jars of sauce,,, one jar doesn’t cut it, luckily I had some plain tomatoe sauce to add:) than it was good