Crock Pot Million Dollar Pasta
Crock Pot Million Dollar Pasta has layers of sauce, pasta, beef and a delicious cream sauce all topped with melty, gooey mozzarella cheese!
A SIMPLE, FLAVORFUL CROCK POT MEAL
A yummy, creamy, flavorful sauce with tender pasta all topped with a gooey, melty cheese? Yes, please! For me, pasta is the perfect leftover food. So I don’t mind if I have a lot leftover. This recipe is made all in one pot and it also takes your traditional pasta and sauce meal to something just a bit more special!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
No. For this recipe you are not going to cook the pasta beforehand. They will go in dry.
My personal favorite spaghetti sauce is Rao’s Roasted Garlic. But it can be pretty pricey since you need two jars for this recipe. I’ve used the Walmart brand (as you see below.) I’ve used the Aldi brand as well and they all work fine. You can use any of your favorite marinara/spaghetti sauce that you enjoy.
Cottage cheese is my go-to as a substitute for ricotta cheese. It’s a more budget-friendly choice and you honestly don’t taste any real difference in this recipe.
Of course not. You can leave it out if you don’t want a meaty pasta. You can switch it out for ground Italian sausage, ground turkey, etc.
Pasta makes for fantastic leftovers! Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)
- ground beef
- cream cheese
- sour cream
- ricotta cheese
- garlic
- spaghetti sauce
- water,
- cavatappi, cellentini or macaroni pasta
- mozzarella cheese
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT MILLION DOLLAR PASTA:
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) oval 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 2 hours (or until noodles are tender). After cooking, gently stir mixture. Then layer with 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover for an additional few minutes (until cheese is melted.)
Then dig in!
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Originally published: October 2016
Updated photos & republished: June 2019
Crock Pot Million Dollar Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 8 ounce block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 (24 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce, divided use
- 24 ounce jar water
- 16 ounce box cavatappi pasta
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- 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) oval 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 evenly with remaining jar of 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 2-3 hours. Note: Many slow cookers cook differently and some run very hot & some not so hot so check at two hours and go from there. It took just about 3 hours in mine.
- Stir mixture and make sure pasta is fully cooked. If not, cover and allow to cook for another hour. Then evenly layer the top with 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Cover for a few additional minutes (until cheese is melted.) Sprinkle with a little dried parsley for color (optional).
Video
Notes
- Use as much or as little cheese as you like. If two cups on top is too much for you, just cut back on the amount used.
- Ground Italian sausage can be for the ground beef.
- Use any corkscrew style pasta or similar size pasta that you enjoy or can find.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Thank you for the quick response. I had already browned half the meat and told my husband I thought it would be too much if I doubled it and would use 2 slow cookers which fortunately I have. I must have bee reading your mind since I took a break between the two batches of meat to check e-mails and you confirmed my suspicions, Can’t wait to try it, just reading the ingredients makes my mouth water. thanks again
Ha! I was hoping I would get my response in time before you made it!! Hope everyone enjoyed it!!
Someone asked on Nov.7th of last year if this could be doubled and there’s been no reply. Plannig to do that for a church pot-luck this Sunday so may be too late for a reply. Wondering if it would need to cook longer
I wouldn’t double it in one slow cooker. It would be far too much to cook evenly. I would recommend two separate slow cookers.
Can this be cooked in the oven ? If I cook the pasta noodles ? I’m running low on time.
Absolutely amazing. Shared with all my mama friends
Thank you so very much Elizabeth!! 🙂
I cooked my noodles first and still added the water is it going to be too watery now?
Yikes, possibly?
Can this be converted to a non – crockpot version? I’m short on time but want this meal… Haha
This was really good. I am very busy and didn’t have time for the crock pot so I tried it in the pressure cooker. It was so delicious. I will definitely make it again.
Can it be cooked even quicker? Skillet maybe? I can’t wrap my brain around it right now. ????
I bet it could. You could turn it into a one pot spaghetti but not sure how the layering would work.
How long did you cook it?
I cooked it for about 10-12 minutes
Kristyn,
You just followed the recipe exactly as written except cooked it in your Instant Pot at 10 min on manual high? Did you let it vent naturally? Thank you so much!
LOL! Your hubby must be my long lost brother/cousin, etc! I don’t like pasta either except for Chinese lo mein. But I do have a family of pasta lovers and I love having some good pasta recipes on hand for them. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Anytime I mention that we’re having any type of pasta, his shoulders drop like a disappointed five year old. LOL
If you read the recipe it states the amount clearly. Two 24 oz. jars.
When you say jar how many ounces is a jar?
Wow! This was amazing. For those of you wondering…I cut the recipe in half and cooked for 3 hrs/10 minutes and it was perfect!! Next time I’ll try Italian sausage! So good!
If I cut this recipe in half, how long should I cook it instead?
Donesha, I haven’t tested that out to be honest so I couldn’t really give you a proven time. I think you could perhaps cut it back by a couple of hours but you’ll have to play around with the time yourself to see what works best.
I don’t often have time or the energy to make anything fancy anymore. I always loved having a crockpot to make easy meals, but never thought of making something like this in a crockpot. I thought that I would give it a try. I used some of my own seasoning when cooking the burger. When we came home for dinner, I was amazed at how good this was. Easiest recipe to make and SO GOOD!
I don’t want to bother with pasta any other way. And my family is fine with that.
Hi Kathy!! Yay! Absolutely love hearing that! Thank you so very much for taking the time out of your busy day to come back here and leave such a great comment!
This is SooOo good. I used Italian sausage but that was all I changed because I wanted some. Daddy and my 18 month old Loved it! There’s enough for dinner tonight, too. Can I just reheat this in the crockpot on low? Or do I have to reheat plates in the microwave?
Hi Jamie! Sorry for my delay in responding! So, so happy you loved this one! You could reheat in the crockpot. The key is not letting it dry out. So, I tend to cover with a paper towel and just reheat in the microwave. 🙂
Hey there making this tonight! Would halfing the recipe work? Will it affect anything?
Shouldn’t be a problem! Just keep an eye on the cooking time. Hope you love it!
Do you have to use cavatappi or can you use any kind of noodles??
Hi Dawn – you could really use any kind of noodle. I like the cavatappi because it kind of grabs and holds onto the sauce and cheese.:)
It’s very good!! I recommend trying it, i used italin sausage and onion too
Thank you Rake!! So happy you loved it with the Italian sausage too! 🙂
Looks great. I don’t have time to pick up ricotta could I leave out or should I replace with more sour cream and Parmesan?
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tried it but it should work. Let me know how it turns out for you!
We don’t eat red meat. Was wondering if ground turkey instead.
Do you think I can eliminate the crockpot all together and just bake it in the oven? Obviously cooking the meat beforehand, possibly the pasta too?
Hi Jessica! You sure could! Cook the pasta and brown the ground beef and don’t add the water. 🙂
Do you think I could eliminate the water and cook pasta and then follow layering directions in a baking pan and stick in oven like a lasagna?
Hi Britney – yes, I would think so! 🙂
I’m actually going to try this in my instant pot as is and just cook it as slow cooker…fingers crossed all goes well!!!
Hi Kim i was going to ask the same would this work with instant pot and if yes what settings works best
I would like to use a crock pot liner when I make this. Any issues with using a liner ? The liner makes clean up so easy.
Nope! I’m cooking it now with a liner!
Hello! Can this be made in a four quart pot successfully? I need a lot so I don’t want to half the recipe but I don’t want overflow either. Help!!
That would be pretty tight. And it may not cook evenly if it’s close to overflowing… 🙁
Can this be doubled simply by doubling the ingredients or are there other adjustments needed?
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!
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?
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. 🙂
This looks great! I am going to try it this week. Do you have any tips for making a vegetarian version of this?
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! 🙂
I threw everything into my instant pot as is and just used my slow cooker option..hope all goes well!!
I just sent this recipe to my daughter who is in her junior year in college and now living off campus. Thanks
What’s considered a serving size? One cup or 1/2 cups?
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.
I am making this right now. It smells delicious! Cant wait to try it!????
Hi. Do you think frozen meatballs coukd work in place of the ground beef? Thank you!
Can you cook this on the warm sstting for 10 hours?
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!
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.
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. 🙂
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 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!
OOOOH be still my heart! This looks like slow cooker busy mama GOLD right 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?
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!
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! 🙂
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!!
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.
When a recipe calls for a shorter time than my typical work day, I make it on Saturday or Sunday…. I love having a great dinner waiting for me after running errands or going to church or Working in the yard!
You can always plug your crockpot into a electrical timer. Set your timer to turn on as you would your light if your not home, and your crockpot will not over cook
That’s actually a really fantastic idea!
Love the recipe!
Easy and delicious!
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) 🙂
Sounds great! Since I am only one person I will cut recipe in half.
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!
Hi Brandie!
I was wondering if you have adapted for Instant Pot?
Hi Lisa, no I sure haven’t. Sorry!
Did you precook the pasta?
Add uncooked pasta!