Make dinner with barely any effort with this easy crockpot spaghetti casserole. With plenty of bold Italian flavors, the pasta cooks in the slow cooker with the meat sauce, making it tender and incredibly tasty!
This Italian comfort food dinner comes together with minimal effort on your part, and is perfect for a hungry family! Try this Crockpot spaghetti casserole tonight!
Ever since I shared my Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce, you’ve been asking me for ways to cook spaghetti in the slow cooker. And here it is!! The only prep/pre-cooking you have to do here is brown the meat and stir together the sauce ingredients. Easy peasy!
This recipe actually surprised me. I saw it in an edition of Southern Living, and was intrigued by the fact that the pasta cooks with the sauce the whole time. Other recipes usually call for the pasta to be added towards the end of the cooking time.
So I made the recipe exactly as they had written and it was good, but I felt it could use some tweaks here and there, plus some additional flavors (the original recipe had NO garlic in it… I can’t cook spaghetti without garlic!). This is the result! Pure comfort food, with a fraction of the work and hands on cooking time.
One thing to note is that the pasta in this spaghetti casserole is a little softer than a traditional boiled to al-dente pasta. However, it’s not mushy and is incredibly flavorful from cooking in a meat sauce!
IS THIS LIKE THE MILLION DOLLAR SPAGHETTI?
Not quite. Million dollar spaghetti has a meat sauce, and spaghetti of course, but it also has a layer of ricotta/cream cheese that’s baked along with it. In a way it’s sort of like spaghetti and lasagna had a baby 🙂
DOES THE PASTA GET MUSHY?
Not necessarily “mushy”, but is does have a softer texture, very similar to any baked casserole that has pasta in it. The “bite” of freshly boiled pasta isn’t there.
HOW TO MAKE CROCKPOT SPAGHETTI CASSEROLE:
- Make your sauce first. I like to use ground beef because we usually have it in our freezer… but all Italian sausage or a mix of both beef an sausage would be a great flavor addition.
- Make sure to break your spaghetti into thirds. This helps the pasta cook evenly, as well as making it easier to scoop and eat.
- Stir stir stir! Once you add the uncooked spaghetti, make sure you stir it into the meat sauce. The sauce is what will cook the pasta, so it should be well mixed!
- Play around with the cheeses if you want! I like to use mozzarella as it’s a traditional flavor, but I know a lot of people who like to use cheddar on theirs, so feel free to play around with it.
- To prevent all that condensation on the lid from splashing back into your dish as you take the slow cooker lid off, cover the slow cooker with a dry dishtowel or several paper towels, THEN top with the lid. Make sure the towel is long enough that you can grab both it and the lid when you take it off, otherwise it could fall into your food.
One thing to note about this recipe is that all slow cookers are different. It’s inevitable, and frustrating! That’s why the cooking time is a range for most slow cooker recipes. My advice would be to check it at 3 hours in and see how the pasta is tasting. If it’s soft and tender, then you’re good to go ahead and eat!
HELPFUL TOOLS:
- 6 quart slow cooker (in photos) – I purchased this since it is so much easier to photograph foods in a white slow cooker, but it’s actually a great slow cooker! It’s not programmable, so if that’s your thing…..
- Programmable 6 quart slow cooker – I’ve had this exact slow cooker for going on 5 years now, and it’s still going strong! Great features and a great price too!
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Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground chuck (80/20 is what I use)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 5-7 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (26 oz) jar of marinara sauce, your favorite brand
- 1 (15 oz) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 - 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 - 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- pinch of sugar, to counteract the acidity of the canned tomatoes
- 8 oz dried spaghetti pasta, broken into thirds
- 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- fresh parsley or basil, minced, for garnish
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over MED to MED-HIGH heat with a small drizzle of oil. Add ground beef and onion and cook 5-6 minutes, until beef is cooked through, crumbling as you cook. Drain meat/onion mixture and return to skillet.
- Reduce heat to MED-LOW, add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Add marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, water, Italian seasoning, balsamic vinegar, thyme, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir to combine well.
- Spoon meat mixture into lightly greased 6 quart slow cooker. Top with broken spaghetti and stir together. Top with shredded cheese, cover and cook on LOW 4 hours.
- Serve garnished with fresh parsley or basil and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese if desired.
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Chef Tips
- Make meat sauce as directed and add to slow cooker. DON'T add pasta. Cook on LOW for anywhere from 4-8 hours.
- Open lid and stir in broken, uncooked spaghetti. Mix together well, top with cheese, then cover and cook on HIGH for 30-40 minutes. Check spaghetti for doneness, and cook a bit longer if needed.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef 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 can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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Kathy says
I have been using this recipe for the last 44yrs. It was included when I purchased my very first crock pot. As you mentioned, I always added the pasta during the last hour and turned pot to High. Always perfect and loved by all!
Joanne says
Have to add to my comment earlier. I sometimes add 1#each of hamburger and hot Italian sausage for a little kick! I forgot to turn my crockpot on so when I came in I turned it on high for 2 hr. Hope it works. My pot usually cooks it in 21/2-3hr. Is there any reson high won’t work ?
Joanne says
I make this frequently and is always a hit. So easy and tasty 😋
Lisa says
This is my husband’s favorite. I have made this recipe many times and have not found a person yet who does not like it. If I have a large crowd, I have to make the sauce twice and cook in two crockpots. I response to an earlier question, I cannot technically double the recipe because I do not have a big enough skillet, nor would my crock pot hold a doubled recipe. It is a go to recipe and I always make it as written. In my newest crock pot It is done in a little over 2.5 hours. After that the cheese starts to burn.
Leanne Woodall says
I’ve made this several times & it’s super yummy. I tweak a few things, but it’s a fabulous recipe! Thanks for a great recipe!
Kurt says
Made my first batch today. Wow, what flavor! I think it’s as good as lasagna and much easier to make. I’m eating a bowl of it as I type this comment.
I didn’t have any dry basil on hand, so I substituted marjoram. I didn’t drain the meat and onions after cooking, so I didn’t add any water. The casserole turned out fine.
One thing I may do different the next time I make the casserole is to break the spaghetti up into fourths instead of thirds. Some of the spaghetti didn’t cook well because it was difficult to get it to stay flat.
Outstanding recipe and this will be one of my faves. Thank you for sharing.
m says
love this, best I’ve ever had:)
Joanne says
This is so easy and delicious. I make it often and have taken to other households where it is a hit 😊 Can it be doubled or just 1&1/2 x’s. Wondered if you have tried that for larger crowd?
Joanne says
I have made this numerous times and it is so good ! My crockpot usually cooks faster so I check at 2.5 hr and has been done by 3 hr. This and the Chunky Chef has become one of my favorite’s! 😊
Christina odom says
Making today with slight modifications . I’m sure it’s gonna be delicious ! Thanks for posting recipe
Lisa Moreno says
I haven’t tried this yet, but am confused by the quantities. 8 oz spaghetti and 2 lbs hamburger for 6 people seems off. Are these correct?
The Chunky Chef says
I don’t measure my serving sizes exactly, since this website isn’t diet or healthy-eating focused, so it’s only as estimate. I’m certainly not going to tell people how much food they can have 🙂
Kurt says
Easily makes 6, hearty servings. I made my first batch today and got 6 servings.
Lo Baynes says
When you to “Add ground beef and onion and cook 5-6 minutes, until beef is cooked through,” do you mean to simply brown the ground beef?? Cooking ground beef through for 5-6 mins won’t actually fully cook the meat so I just need clarification.
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, cook the ground beef like you normally would.
Margaret says
Can this be made in the oven?
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain what, if anything, would need changed to make it work. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Kurt says
If you can make it in a crock pot, you can make it in an oven. Check the following site for time conversions:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/more-crockpot-basics-483002
Shannon says
I have made this multiple times for my family and for gatherings. Everyone loves it! It is easy and delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Jen says
This was so good! Thank you for sharing!
Do you think it would translate to an instant pot easily?
The Chunky Chef says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if it would work in the Instant Pot and what, if any, changes would need to be made. My instinct tells me it could be done in an IP, but I can’t say any specifics without further testing. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Mattia says
Oops ! Was in such a hurry I put the broken noodles in the crock pot first then added meat and sauce 🤦🏻♀️
Will it still turn out ok?
Amanda says
Hi Mattia 🙂 Did you stir it before cooking?
Dawn says
This recipe is not working very well.
I followed the directions. It has been a little over two hours and the spaghetti is not cooking very well. I have the slow cooker on low and the sauce and meat are drying up.
Amanda says
Oh no! Did you make any substitutions? And you broke the spaghetti noodles? Different slow cookers do all cook slightly differently, especially older vs. newer models, but there shouldn’t be that much disparity.
Dawn says
Hi. I did break the spaghetti into thirds and did not make any substitutions. It could just be that my slow cooker is old. Wishing you the best.
Dawn
Kathy says
I am adding to my previous comment. I usually use 1 large can of tomato juice and 1 15 ounce can of tomato sauce. If it is a little dry you could add more tomato juice or even some water.