Recipe for thick & meaty Italian spaghetti sauce using two types of meat & lots of vegetables. One batch makes 5-quarts & the slow cooker does all the work!
To say that SOME weekdays are busy is an understatement.
By the time dinner time arrives, I’ve already made lunches and smoothies early morning, served breakfast, sent the kids off to school, had some combination of work, chores, exercise…
Then between the kid’s after-school & church activities, and more computer time for me …
Is it really time to cook dinner? Yeah right!
BUT…it is time to serve an easy, ready-to-go REAL FOOD meal made for me by my trusty slow cooker!
Just like many of you, spaghetti is one of our easy meals when life is busy… or when we’re simultaneously out of bread and leftovers!
Recipes for spaghetti sauce are kept close to the heart, like a well-hidden family secret. The scale ranges from Marinara (using mostly tomatoes and some basic spices) to Garden style (fresh chunky vegetables in a tomato sauce) to Italian-style (hearty, meaty, and sometimes chunky).
Our family spaghetti sauce is definitely Italian-style. It is a very hearty sauce, filled with two types of meat and as many vegetables as my crock-pot will hold. The kids love it, Mr. Crumbs adores it and it’s the only sauce that makes me look forward to spaghetti night.
The best part about this sauce is that one batch makes 5 quarts and besides a (very) little chopping, the crock-pot does all the work. Can it get any better than this?! I promise that you will want to start sharing this recipe with friends and family!
Meaty Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
Besides the wonderful convenience of this great recipe, it’s…
- Delicious with a rich, hearty, and satisfying sauce that is perfect for any pasta recipe. It’s even amazing ladled over baked potatoes for a gluten-free option.
- Healthy. It’s chock-full of vegetable goodness and lean protein.
- Freezer-friendly. Since one batch makes a whole 5 quarts of sauce, you can make it once and freeze for future meal plans.
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
With yummy ground meat, lots of nutritious vegetables, and savory herbs, these ingredients come together to create one great sauce!
- Ground spicy pork sausage
- Ground beef
- Black beans (approx 1 can)
- Bell peppers (any color)
- Onions and garlic
- Carrots and celery
- Salt & pepper
- Italian seasoning, oregano, basil
- Tomato Sauce
- Parsley, sage, thyme
Note: Some people also like to add other ingredients like diced tomatoes, red pepper flakes, red wine, sugar, and more seasonings to their meaty spaghetti sauce recipes…
But trust me…this recipe is perfect as is! Especially without the sugar that is common in store-bought sauces!
How do you make meaty spaghetti sauce from scratch?
This sauce is literally a dump and go recipe!
- Place everything except tomato sauce in a slow cooker.
- Fill the slow-cooker with tomato sauce.
- Cook on the lowest setting for 8 hours and puree.
- Continue cooking on low for another 2-4 hours.
- Serve with your favorite pasta (did you know that you can freeze pasta?)
That’s it!!!!
How do you make spaghetti sauce thicker?
This sauce becomes so thick and hearty by using an immersion blender to blend it to your desired thickness, then it cooks a little longer to deepen all of those wonderful flavors!
How do you make spaghetti sauce richer and have more flavor?
This sauce is so rich and flavorful because it has slow-cooked meats, a ton of earthy vegetables, and the savory herbs.
Can you put balsamic vinegar in spaghetti sauce?
Some recipes might call for this. I prefer not to put in the sauce recipe. Of course, it could always be used as a condiment for an extra kick.
What can I serve with Hearty Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce?
A crisp and crunchy salad like my Kale Caesar Salad would be absolutely perfect with this recipe. Serve a lightly sweet and satisfying avocado chocolate mousse for dessert, and you have a perfect weekday or weekend family meal!
What other recipes can I use this spaghetti sauce for besides pasta?
Even though this sauce is meaty, we use it in every recipe calling for spaghetti or marinara sauce. The flavor makes dishes like lasagna and stuffed shells amazing!
Can I freeze meaty slow cooker spaghetti sauce?
Unless you’re feeding an army, you’ll certainly have more than one night’s worth of spaghetti sauce at the end of the day. This sauce freezes so well and can be kept in the fridge safely (unsealed) for up to two weeks.
More Easy Sauce Recipes
- Homemade Tomato Sauce
- Homemade Spaghetti Sauce: 15-Minute Recipe
- 15-Minute Alfredo Sauce
- Weeknight Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Fettucine and Creamy Vodka Sauce
Freezer Cooking: Dump Dinner Recipes
Sign up to get instant access to my step-by-step Freezer Cooking: Dump Dinner Recipe plan, complete with recipes, supply list, and shopping list!Meaty Spaghetti Sauce
Recipe for thick & meaty Italian spaghetti sauce using two types of meat & lots of vegetables. One batch makes 5-quarts & the slow cooker does all the work!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 hours
- Total Time: 10 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 quarts 1x
- Category: Main meals
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground spicy pork sausage
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 1/2 cup par-cooked or cooked black beans (approx 1 can)
- 2 bell peppers (any color)
- 10 cloves garlic, halved
- 2 large carrots, cut into large chunks
- 2 stalks celery, each cut into large chunks
- 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 1/2 Tbsp pepper
- 1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1 Tbsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 1 Tbsp dried parsley
- 1/2 Tbsp dried sage
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 90 ounces of tomato sauce (I buy a large #10 can of tomato sauce from Costco (106oz) and usually end up with about 16 ounces leftover)
Instructions
- Place everything except tomato sauce in a slow cooker.
- Fill the slow-cooker with tomato sauce and shake gently to move sauce down and into air pockets created by vegetables. Top the slow cooker with remaining sauce.
- Cook on the lowest setting for 8 hours. Using an immersion blender,puree everything until smooth.
- Taste for seasonings and add as necessary. Be careful – sauce will be hot!
- Continue cooking on low for another 2-4 hours. Sauce tastes better the longer the flavors meld.
- Serve with your favorite pasta.
Notes
** This recipe is designed to be made in a 6 quart slow cooker. Adjust measurements as needed if your slow cooker is a different size.
Keywords: Hearty Spaghetti Sauce
Hi, I just became acquainted with your website through Nourishing Home website. I’m so very glad that I did. I haven’t tried any of your recipes yet but I did sign up for your newsletter. We (my husband, my special needs 27 year old grandson and myself) just started on this whole food/real foods eating plan in February of this year. At first it was just overwhelming but as time has gone on it has gotten better-not perfect, but better.
We don’t eat pork, so would it be okay to just put another pound of grass fed beef? Also, do you put the meat in the crock pot without pan frying it first? Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. God bless you and your family and keep up the good work!!
Welcome Trish! I’m so happy you’ve found us!
The goal for eating whole/real food is always better, not perfect, so you’re doing absolutely great. 🙂
Adding another pound of grass-fed beef would be great in the recipe. You may want to add some red pepper flakes to add that kick that spicy sausage adds, but that’s completely up to you. Sometimes I put the meat in w/o cooking, sometimes I cook it first. I haven’t noticed much of a difference either way so if you’re short on time or just don’t want to clean another pan, toss it all in! 😉
Another idea – you could add beans in place of some of the meat too. We’ve recently reduced the meat to 1/2 lb pork and 1/2 lb beef while adding the equivalent of one can of beans (except I make them from dry beans) and you can’t even tell the difference. The meat flavor is there and the bean flavor isn’t! Personally, I think I’d go that route before adding more meat, only because quality meat can be expensive. Any beans will work too – black, white and garbanzo have all tested out delicious.
Thank you for your kind words Trish! Many blessings to you and your family as well, and thank you for the encouragement! I look forward to seeing more of you! ~Tiffany
I’m getting my shopping list ready for the week (and month) and will be making this the first time for my family tomorrow. I think these comments half answer my question–can I replace ALL of the meat with only beans and still achieve a tasty result? Maybe mix up with different kinds, or stick with one kind?
Loving the site! Thank you!
This sauce looks amazing. I’m so excited to try it, but I’m a little nervous about canning anything to do with tomatoes. The Internet is full of conflicting information, so I was wondering if you have canned this and how long it will last. I live in Texas, so a “cool” spot right now is anything less than 100 degrees, so I’m worried about how long I can keep it. I’d freeze everything if I had more than a tiny freezer.
This really looks so yummy, though, I might just make some and share the leftovers at work.
I found your site through the Green Thickie website and I’m so glad I did. Being healthy is hard on the finances of two people in their early 20s both in grad school. I’m just lucky that my parents and grandmother have a HUGE garden and bring produce to the city for me.
Thanks!
You will need a pressure canner in order to can spaghetti sauce. Tomatoes are safe to can because the acid in tomatoes prevents anything nasty from growing or spoiling your home-canned product. Please see http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/can_home.html for information on safely canning products at home. Apple butter, pickles, tomatoes, jelly and jam are the easiest things to can safely in a water bath (BWB = boiling water bath). Anything with any meat or beans requires pressure canning to get the proper temperature before storing in a pantry.
Please keep this sauce in the refrigerator or freezer unless you pressure can it.
Thanks Kirsten!
Audrey – I HAVE canned this sauce, but if I use the links that a reader provided on this post, then I’ve apparently been doing it wrong, lol… although no one has gotten sick and we eat it all within 3 months. We’ve frozen it before and kept it in the fridge for up to 6 without any issues. It’s possible to make a half batch if you’d like, or plan 2 meals using it the first week to help reduce what you have to store.
I’m glad you found me too! How wonderful to have family with a big garden!! I look forward to seeing more of you Audrey!
Just wondering if you put the meat in cooked or raw? Thanks for all the wonderful ideas!
Thanks Natalie! I’ve put meat in both ways. Cooking first reduces some of the fat, making the sauce less greasy. Throwing it in frozen (yes! frozen!) makes it even faster to make. 🙂
Thanks! Cooking this today! New to budgeting, but loyal shoppers at TJ’s (hubby’s been working there for many years – which makes it hard to stick to a budget with all the new items lol), so your meal ideas are such a great help for us. Thanks again!
I can only imagine the level of restraint you must have Natalie! I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying the meal ideas. You’re most welcome! 🙂
I don’t feed an army exactly. But I feed 50 homeless men and women every Sunday on as little as possible. How
Many servings do you think this will make?
Two questions for you. First I saw that this had beans in it? Where do those come in? And secondly I made this and did not like the meat being blended. Could I add cooked meat after I puree the sauce and veggies?
Hi Dana! The original recipe does not have beans, but I’ve since started adding 1 cup or so at the very beginning. I tried it one time and no one could taste them so I just kept it going! Yes, you can add the meat after pureeing the sauce and veggies. To get that “meaty” flavor throughout the sauce, puree a couple hours early and add the cooked meat, then continue to cook on low in the crock pot. 🙂
Do you use tomatoes that are in a BPA free can? If so, what brand?
Hi Heather – I’m using the big, 109oz jars of tomato sauce from Costco right now. It would be AWESOME to find an affordable source for BPA free tomatoes, but I’m just not there yet. The least expensive I’ve found is over $1/can, and I can’t afford that with the rate at which we go through them. 🙁
Thank you, Tiffany, for clarifying about the tomatoes you use for your spaghetti sauce. I also appreciate your candor because it helps the rest of us remember it is o.k. to take baby steps. I once found a small carton of tomatoes, which eliminates the BPA all together, but it was like $3 for the small carton. Definitely not a reasonable option for using tomatoes on a regular basis. So, as you said, a little at a time, where and when we can. I really love your site and am guilty of spending many hours here this weekend after I found it. Thank you so very much for the time you are spending to make the lives of our families healthier and more financially fit. Blessings to you and your family!
Thank you Heather, and you’re most welcome! Blessings to you!
The sauce has been in the crockpot now for about 4 hours, and I just noticed that I bought tomato purée, not sauce, from Costco. Do you think my sauce will be too tomato-intense and not spicy enough?
I think you’ll be fine Ambra. Tomato sauce is just cooked tomato, so the pureee will end up the same in the long run. If it’s not spicy enough, try adding 1/2-1 tsp of red pepper flakes. I usually do that if I can’t find spicy sausage. 🙂
We had this as spaghetti tonight. Wow!, It. Is. Awesome! We have definitely found our new favorite! The only problem I see is it’s very hard not to eat too much. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
LOL, we often indulge on spaghetti nights. The hearty sauce just feels so comforting!! 🙂 Glad you guys enjoyed the recipe too!
Yet another recipe I must try very soon. Good to know I can get the same flavor by adding my cooked meat after pureeing. If my husband can’t clearly see the meat he is eating, then he feels it’s insufficient. Fortunately for us, he pasture raises all our own meat so I have a little more freedom to use more meat. (Though I confess I am always trying to spread it through a casserole or soup rather than slap it on the plate like he would prefer.) It’s hard to change my frugal ways.
I am so tickled to find your site. You have a terrific blend of crunchy and realistic. I can’t wait to explore more and mine the depths of the info you have here. Am still torn about signing up for your Meal Plans since I know my family has so many favorites that I currently make – that has often been the problem with past meal plans I’ve explored. It changed the way we ate too much. We are already a whole food family, I just find I spend so much time planning the meals and I’m trying to get my own business off the ground and care for my elderly father. I love the idea of simplifying the process. So I’m exploring your past meal plans and at first glance, it looks like you include many things that we already enjoy.
Blessings and Success to you in your continuing endeavors!
Kristine
LOL – husbands, gotta love them! 😉 I love the way you describe Crumbs: crunchy yet realistic. You’re spot on!
If you’d like Kristine, you’re welcome to download the 14 day sample to see if the meals would fit your preferences. We have our family favorites too, so I understand where you’re coming from. 😉
Thank you for your well wishes and blessings, and welcome to Crumbs!!
Where do I find that 14 Day Sample? I would like to try. And BTW, I made your Hearty Spaghetti Sauce yesterday (with a pound each of Sweet Italian Sausage and Ground Beef added after blending but left to cook with the sauce for a couple hours). Ah.Mazing. The whole family loved it. I served it with spaghetti squash and your Rosemary Olive Oil Bread. We managed to demolish a quart of sauce and an entire loaf of bread. And then they asked if they could have the same meal again tonight. Uh. Yeah. I don’t mind delicious twice in a row and day off from cooking. (I’m glad I baked two squash at once.) And I’ll still have sauce to put in the freezer for another quick meal. Thanks Tiffany! (I was feeling a little bad that they turned on me so quickly, since I’ve been making spaghetti sauce with my own garden tomatoes and “secret” seasoning mix for years. But my husband did add this morning that I shouldn’t throw away my other recipe. They are different enough that he would like both to be in the rotation. Whew.)
★★★★★
LOL! Thanks so much for sharing this story Kristine! I’m so glad your family likes my sauce, but even happier they don’t want to give yours up. And two easy meals in rotation? Awesomesauce.
Here’s a link to the sample: http://mealplans.dontwastethecrumbs.com/download-a-14-day-sample-meal-plan/
BTW, you picked a great combo for dinner. I made that exact meal one night and the family practically licked their plates. Including the one who said they didn’t like spaghetti squash. 😉
Hi. I’m really intrigued to try out this recipe, but I don’t have a slow cooker. How long should I cook it on regular stove?
Hi Ave! Cook on the stove until it seems concentrated and the meat/veggies are cooked through, maybe 30-45 min? Then puree and cook another 30-45 min for the flavors to blend.
How do you suggest freezing this sauce? Can I portion it out in ziplock bags? Thanks!
Yes you can! Freeze flat so you can stack them like books when they’re solid.
I ran out and got my #10 can of crushed tomatoes ? Could I use that instead of the tomato sauce?!
Thanks,
Love your site!
Absolutely Erin! I actually do this sometimes so I can use the same can for pizza sauce and spaghetti. It gets pureed at the end anyway!!