Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce Recipe

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Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce Recipe – the best pasta sauce ever! Rich and deep in flavor pasta sauce cooked in a crockpot, served over spaghetti and topped with Parmesan. 

SLOW COOKER BOLOGNESE SAUCE

That’s exactly what this is – comfort food at it’s best. This pasta sauce recipe will change your spaghetti game and you will love it! It’s perfect for those days when pasta just seems boring and you need a big bowl of comfort food. We are bringing spaghetti back to our weekly dinner menus with this Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce. A new family favorite! Serve with Easy Cheesy Garlic Bread and you are in for a feast that didn’t take much effort at all.

A steaming bowl of spaghetti with rich, slow cooker bolognese sauce is bound to make your soul and belly happy. Planning a relaxing weekend? This recipe is perfect for it! Minimal prep time and the magic happens in your slow cooker. Yes, please!

HOW TO MAKE SLOW COOKER BOLOGNESE SAUCE?

• Saute garlic and onion in a skillet for 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook for a few minutes. Place sauteed vegetables in a 5-quart slow cooker.
• In the same skillet, cook beef until no longer pink. Stir in half and half and tomato sauce and cook for about 4 minutes. Pour mixture over vegetables in crockpot.
• Add crushed tomatoes and all of the seasonings to the slow cooker. Stir well.
• Cook sauce on LOW setting for 6 to 8 hours.

Tips for the best Slow Cooker Bolognese sauce:

Don’t let the carrots and celery throw you off. It is quite common for these veggies to be used in pasta sauce by Italian cooks, or so I have been told. I love the sweetness the carrots add to the sauce. The celery blends perfectly with onions and garlic. Oh, feel free to amp up the amount of garlic in this recipe. I used 3 cloves but I love it with 5 cloves even more. That’s a personal preference. I just love garlic in my pasta dishes!

You will notice that after browning the beef (and yes, let it brown until you see little bits at the bottom of the pan – they have a ton of flavor!), I recommend adding 1/2 a cup of half and half and one can of tomato sauce. You can skip them but I think it adds even more flavor and richness to the dish.

More Homemade Sauce recipes:

Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

5-Minute Pizza Sauce

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Instant Pot Spaghetti

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀

5 from 4 votes

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Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce Recipe

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

6 hrs

Total Time

6 hrs 15 mins

 

The best pasta sauce ever! Rich and deep in flavor pasta sauce cooked in a crockpot, served over spaghetti and topped with Parmesan. 

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bolognese sauce, slow cooker bolognese

Servings: 6 people

Calories: 307 kcal

Author: Anna

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 carrots diced
• 2 celery stalks diced
• 1 lb ground beef
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 4 oz tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1.5 tsp Italian seasoning

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat up olive oil. Add garlic and onion. Saute for 2 minutes. Add carrots and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes.

2. Place sauteed vegetables in a 5 quart slow cooker. 

3. To the same saucepan, add beef and cook until done. Brown over medium heat, stirring often and breaking the meat. Cook until brown bites are visible on the bottom of the pan. Add half and half and cook 2 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Add tomato sauce and cook the mixture for 3 minutes. Place in the slow cooker, next to vegetables.

4. Add crushed tomatoes and seasoning to slow cooker. Stir everything together. Cook on LOW setting for 6 to 8 hours. 

5. Serve over cooked spaghetti or fettuccine pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. 

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 307 Calories from Fat 180

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 20g 31%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Cholesterol 61mg 20%

Sodium 552mg 23%

Potassium 815mg 23%

Total Carbohydrates 16g 5%

Dietary Fiber 4g 16%

Sugars 8g

Protein 16g 32%

Vitamin A 77.9%

Vitamin C 20.9%

Calcium 10.9%

Iron 20.3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.