Give me ALL the pasta!
If there is one thing I could eat over and over and never get tired of – it’s pasta. My son and I love it (especially this Crockpot Million Dollar pasta recipe I am sharing today!) My husband – not so much. He’s weird. Who doesn’t like pasta? So what happens is I end up making a big batch (because hey – the other people in the house still like it!) and we end up having a lot leftover.
I am guilty
Leftovers are a regular issue in my family. Mainly because there are only 3 of us and we can only eat so much in one sitting. But the benefit to that is, I can usually save most of those leftovers and create a couple more meals from them.
On one of those crazy-busy weeknights we can just open the fridge, look at what is leftover and we can all create our own special meals with what is there… a little pasta, some rolls and a bowl of soup. Boom! Another dinner dilemma solved and no food (or money!) wasted!
GladWare® to the rescue
So my rule of thumb now is to keep a bunch of different-sized GladWare® containers on hand. They are reusable, stack easily, BPA-free and can be used in the microwave and thrown into the dishwasher. But if someone leaves them at school or work – cough, cough – I’m not naming any names or anything 😉 it is not gonna make me cry that I lost a good dish. AND, this time of year, I am using them for so much. Like the time I had to make 24 ham and cheese rolls for a school party. Keeps ’em fresh without worrying my son will accidentally smush them all on the bus ride to school.
Crockpot Million Dollar Pasta
For me, pasta is the perfect leftover food. So I don’t mind if I have lots leftover. I can divide all the leftovers in smaller GladWare® containers so they are easy to grab in the morning for a work lunch later. This recipe is made all in one pot (yay for less dirty dishes!) but it also takes your traditional pasta and sauce meal to something just a bit more special. You do not have to boil the pasta noodles first – woo hoo! A yummy, creamy, flavorful sauce with tender pasta all topped with a gooey, melty cheese. Worth it’s weight in gold 😉
Ingredients:
2 lbs. ground beef
1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 (24 oz.) jars spaghetti sauce, divided use
1 (spaghetti) jar water, divided use
1 (16 oz.) box cavatappi, cellentini or macaroni pasta
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Brown and crumble ground beef (season with salt and pepper.) Drain excess grease and set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, minced garlic and parsley.
In the bottom of a 6 quart (or larger) slow cooker, add half a jar of spaghetti sauce.
Evenly layer half the box of the cavatappi pasta on top of sauce.
Pour remaining jar of spaghetti sauce over noodles. Pour on half a jar of water.
Then layer half the cooked ground beef mixture over top.
Dollop the entire cream cheese mixture evenly as possible over the beef layer. Do not stir.
Evenly layer the rest of the cavatappi pasta on top of the cream cheese layer.
Top with remaining jar spaghetti sauce. Pour another half jar of water on top of spaghetti sauce.
Finally, layer the rest of the cooked ground beef on top.
Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours.
Stir mixture.
Then layer with 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover for an additional 15-20 minutes (until cheese is melted.)
Then dig in!
Pop those leftovers into your Glad containers and into the fridge to have another meal for another night. Score one for Momma!
Enjoy!
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 1 8 oz block cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 2 24 oz jars spaghetti sauce divided use
- 1 jar water
- 1 16 oz box cavatappi pasta
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Brown and crumble ground beef (season with salt and pepper.) Drain excess grease and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta cheese, minced garlic and parsley.
- In the bottom of a 6 quart (or larger) slow cooker, add half a jar of spaghetti sauce.
- Evenly layer half the box of the cavatappi pasta on top of sauce.
- Pour remaining jar of spaghetti sauce over noodles.
- Pour on half a jar of water.
- Then layer half the cooked ground beef mixture over top.
- Dollop the entire cream cheese mixture evenly as possible over the beef layer. Do not stir.
- Evenly layer the rest of the cavatappi pasta on top of the cream cheese layer.
- Top with remaining jar spaghetti sauce
- Pour another half jar of water on top of spaghetti sauce.
- Finally, layer the rest of the cooked ground beef on top.
- Cover and cook on low for about 4-6 hours.
- Stir mixture, then layer with 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover for an additional 15-20 minutes (until cheese is melted.)
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Glad Food Protection. The opinions and text are all mine.
Did you precook the pasta?
Add uncooked pasta!
Your pasta recipe looks awesome! I also luv.???? pasta anytime! I’m wondering if it can be prepared on the stove top or oven and would I need to adjust any of the amounts of ingredients?
Hi Maria! You could definitely make this in the oven. You will need to cook the pasta first and also remove the additional water that I added to make this a crockpot recipe. Layer ingredients into a 9×13 baking dish. Then cook uncovered in a 350f degree oven for 40 mins. Add mozzarella to the top and put back in the oven for an additional 15-20 minutes. Hope that helps!
Thank you so much! I wanted to make it tonight but my boyfriend doesn’t have a crockpot. I’m excited!
Sounds great! Since I am only one person I will cut recipe in half.
It looks great. I don’t like cooking but crockpot meals are so easy, it doesn’t feel like cooking.
How many servings?
Thanks.
Hi Linda! This makes about 8-10 servings (perhaps more depending on how large the servings are) 🙂
Love the recipe!
Easy and delicious!
This looks incredible. One question though, we are away from home for work at least 9 hours. Is this a recipe that can stand extra cooking, or should I cook it on low and have it go to the warming setting? I don’t want it to dry out.
Regina did you get an answer to this question? This is always my biggest concern with crockpot recipes… I’m usually away at work for 9-10 hours, so a 4 hour crock pot recipe worries me. I have a flex setting on my crock pot that I could cook on low and then it goes to warm, but 5 hours on warm sounds like it wouldn’t be good by the time we got home to eat.
Made this for supper tonight. Outstanding!! My family loved it! So grateful for your recipes… easy to prepare, yet always delicious. Thanks!!
Yay, so glad everyone loved it!!
Hi Brandie, I love this recipe I’ve made it a couple of times and it’s awesome. I did do a little experimenting the last time. I’m on a really tight budget so instead of ricotta I used cottage cheese. I figured it worked for lasagna, it would probably work for this. I also added mushrooms and onions to the ground beef.. I have to say I liked the mushrooms and onions but I much prefer the ricotta cheese. Oh well that the fun of cooking isn’t it? Thank you so much for all your awesome recipes.
Hi Kris! Thanks so much for the feedback! Actually, ricotta is cheaper than cottage cheese. For example, at my Wal-Mart, the Great Value Ricotta is $1.77 and the Great Value Cottage Cheese is $2.48. Now, some folks prefer the taste of cottage cheese. I have a crock pot lasagna that I think it works really well in! I am all about saving money so I have no problem using store brands to save a few bucks! 🙂
Brandy, I love, love your weekly planning menus. At 70, I am running short on enthusiasm and new ideas for meal planning, let alone cooking! I may not follow your menu plan for the week, but I just spent over half an hour reviewing your recipes. Your site is fantastic and I love being able to print the recipes and instructions easily. Everything I have tried so far has been delicious. GREAT JOB!
Hi Diana! Thank you so much for reaching out! I love that you are totally open to trying new recipes and you like the ones I have on here. Always an honor to have an experienced cook say that. Thank you for being here!
I was wondering if you could use other kinds of pasta like, bowtie or penne pasta?
You sure can!
Am I able to use regular spaghetti?
OOOOH be still my heart! This looks like slow cooker busy mama GOLD right here!
Hi! I am wanting to make this for dinner tomorrow night and would have to start it at 5:15 am before I head to work. Unfortunately, I don’t get home from work until 4:30 pm…is that too long to cook it??
Thank you!
Hi Samantha! It probably would be – yes. I’m sorry! Unless you have a digital crockpot where you can set it to cook then it will automatically go to warm. That might work!
Can you make this with Italian sausage instead? Or half. Ground beef and half sausage?
Hi Megan! Absolutely you could! 🙂
I always make my spaghetti sauce with sweet Italian sausage (as opposed to hot) instead of ground beef and that makes awesome lasagna. When i make this dish i will definitely be using the sausage. The recipe sounds so easy and yummy…..
Hi I was wondering if I could cook this on high for 2 hours instead on low for four ?
Hi Shiann – you sure could. Just keep an eye on it though. You’ll want to stir it to make sure nothing burns on the bottom. Slow cookers these days run hot. 🙂
I really want to try this because it looks delicious, but I only have a 4 quart slow cooker:( Suggestions before I make a disaster?
Although I have not made it in a smaller crock pot, you could probably 1/2 the ingredients. If you try it, please come back and let us know how it worked out for you.
I’m a bit of a novice when it comes to cooking pasta in the crockpot. This recipe looks so deliciously tempting! I want to bring it to a potluck. Do you think it will be alright on the warm setting for about an hour or so?
Hi Ashley! Yes, you can! Mainly you don’t want the pasta to turn to mush. So maybe undercook it by about an hour, then set it up on warm when you get there. Even the keep warm setting on newer crock pots can still cook the pasta while it is keeping warm. Hope that helps!
Can you cook this on the warm sstting for 10 hours?
Hi. Do you think frozen meatballs coukd work in place of the ground beef? Thank you!
I am making this right now. It smells delicious! Cant wait to try it!????
I want to make this for my 96 yr. old Mom. She doesn’t like sour cream, though. Is it a prominent flavor in this recipe? Can I leave it out or substitute something else? Sounds great to me, though.
What’s considered a serving size? One cup or 1/2 cups?
I just sent this recipe to my daughter who is in her junior year in college and now living off campus. Thanks
Could you make this in a instant pot? If so how would you adapt this recipe for a IP?
Hi Heather! I’m sure you could but I just don’t know how. I’m sorry! Perhaps someone on here will have a good suggestion for you! 🙂
This looks great! I am going to try it this week. Do you have any tips for making a vegetarian version of this?
hello brandie,
would you mind telling me your crockpot size?
Hey Vicky! It’s a 6-quart crock pot. That is my go-to size for pretty much everything. 🙂
I have made this several times and love it. I plan to make it for a work pot luck tomorrow! Can you make ahead the night before, leave in fridge, then cook the next day?
Hi! this looks so amazing!! I plan on cooking this for 4 hrs then it will go to low for 1-2 hrs. Do you think it will dry out that way? Also, Do you think this would be good to freeze afterwards?
Thanks!