Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce
Perfect for a weeknight dinner, this bolognese-style sauce is made in the slow cooker. Just boil some pasta and your dinner is ready!
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 428kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage
- 1 onion minced
- 2 carrots, very finely chopped
- 8 cloves garlic minced
- 3 - 14 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- 1 - 24 ounce jar of your favorite marinara sauce (I use Newman's Own)
- 1 cup water
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 tsp better than chicken bouillon
- 3 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp sugar (to taste)
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 - 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add ground beef and Italian sausage, cooking until browned, about 5-6 minutes, making sure to crumble the beef and sausage as it cooks. The last 2-3 minutes, add onion, carrot and garlic to beef and cook. Drain in a colander to remove excess grease.
- Place meat mixture into bottom of slow cooker. Add remaining sauce ingredients and stir to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
Notes
If desired, stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream at the end of cooking, cover and cook another 5-10 minutes to warm it through. Cream really rounds out the flavors and adds a beautiful richness, but it's optional
Nutrition
Calories: 428kcal
