By: Becky Hardin
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Crock Pot Spaghetti is an easy, hands-off way to make everyone’s favorite weeknight dinner. Pasta goes straight into the slow cooker with a tasty marinara sauce made with ground beef and Italian sausage, tomatoes, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Top everything off with lots of mozzarella cheese for a spaghetti casserole the whole family is going to love!
Table of Contents
What’s in Crockpot Spaghetti Casserole?
If you love baked spaghetti, you’re going to love how easy it is to make this cheesy spaghetti recipe in a Crock Pot!
- Ground Beef: I recommend using 80/20 ground beef in spaghetti sauce since it has more flavor and juiciness. But you can use a leaner option.
- Italian Sausage: Ground Italian Sausage adds more savory flavor to the meat sauce mixture.
- Spaghetti Noodles: Of course you need spaghetti! Either break noodles into thirds, or buy a box of pot-size spaghetti.
- Marinara Sauce: Use your favorite jar of sauce; or try our homemade marinara, or homemade pasta sauce.
- Diced Tomatoes: A can of diced tomatoes adds more texture and flavor into the sauce.
- Onions: Mix diced onion into the meat sauce. I recommend using white or yellow onions.
- Garlic: Minced garlic adds more savoriness.
- Italian Seasoning: This blend is a mix of oregon, basil, rosemary, thyme, sage, marjoram, and crushed red pepper.
- Water: Water helps to thin out the sauce.
- Shredded Mozzarella: Top the entire casserole with lots of cheese so that it bakes and melts into everything.
- Granulated Sugar: A pinch of granulated sugar sweetens things up just a tad for the perfect flavor.
- Salt & Pepper: A little bit of salt and pepper helps to create the right taste.
- Olive Oil: Use olive oil to cook the meat.
Pro Tip: If you prefer spaghetti and meatballs over spaghetti casserole, skip the meat in the crockpot, and add these old-fashioned Italian Meatballs when you serve!
Variations on Slow Cooker Spaghetti Casserole
It’s easy to switch out a few ingredients to make this Crock Pot spaghetti recipe perfect for any night of the week.
- Chicken Spaghetti: Instead of ground beef and sausage, use ground chicken and follow the same instructions. You can also use leftover or shredded chicken (fully cooked), and start at Step 2. If you prefer, use alfredo sauce instead of marinara for a creamier dish.
- Taco Spaghetti Casserole: Swap Italian seasoning for taco seasoning; leave out the sausage; use diced tomatoes with green chiles; and use cheddar or colby jack instead of mozzarella. You can also mix in black beans or corn if you like.
- Vegetarian: Skip the ground beef and sausage, and you’ll have a meat-free spaghetti with marinara. Or you can use a plant-based ground meat if you like.
If you don’t want all of the ingredients “baked” together, I recommend making this Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce instead. Then you can pair it with freshly boiled pasta!
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How long does it take to cook spaghetti in a crock pot?
Cook spaghetti casserole in a slow cooker set on LOW for 4 hours.
Can I keep spaghetti warm in the crock pot?
Yes, change it to the WARM setting and it will keep warm to 2 hours
Can you put raw spaghetti directly in the crock pot?
Yes, put uncooked noodles directly in the slow cooker with the sauce. There’s no need to par-boil it first.
Can I make this spaghetti recipe without meat?
To make this dish meat free, you can omit the sausage and meat and add in other veggies like bell peppers and mushrooms. Alternatively you could use Beyond Meat sausage and ground ‘beef’.
Can I use an Instant Pot instead of a crock pot?
If you prefer to use a pressure cooker, follow my Instant Pot Spaghetti recipe instead!
How to Store and Reheat
Let leftover Crock Pot baked spaghetti cool to room temperature. Then store it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Reheat on the stovetop, microwave, or slow cooker, heating until fully warmed through.
How to Freeze
This slow cooker spaghetti makes for a great freezer meal because it will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw the casserole in the fridge overnight before reheating it.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious Crockpot spaghetti casserole with fresh garlic bread or Olive Garden style breadsticks, and a chicken caesar salad or Greek salad. This dish also tastes great with parmesan roasted potatoes, roasted mushrooms, or Air Fryer broccoli.
If you make this recipe be sure to upload a photo in the comment section below or leave a rating. Enjoy! You can also jump to recipe.
Recipe
Crock Pot Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
4.57 from 198 votes
Author: Becky Hardin
Prep: 15 minutes minutes
Cook: 4 hours hours
Total: 4 hours hours 15 minutes minutes
Serves6 servings
Print Rate
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Throw sauce, pasta, and all the ingredients in the slow cooker and out comes a cheesy spaghetti casserole!
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Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 cup onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 24 ounces marinara sauce 1 standard jar
- 1 cup water
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes 1 standard can
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch granulated sugar
- 8 ounces spaghetti noodles broken into thirds
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add ground beef, sausage, and onion and cook 5-6 minutes, until beef is cooked through, crumbling with a spoon as you cook. Drain any excess grease and return it to the skillet.
2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground Italian sausage, 1 cup onion
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the marinara sauce, pouring the water into the jar and swishing it around to remove any excess sauce, then add that to the skillet. Add diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and sugar, stirring to combine.
3 cloves garlic, 24 ounces marinara sauce, 14 ounces diced tomatoes, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, Pinch granulated sugar, 1 cup water
Transfer the mixture to the crock of a 6-quart slow cooker.
Top with broken spaghetti and stir together.
8 ounces spaghetti noodles
Top with mozzarella, cover, and cook on low for 4 hours.
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
Serve garnished with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley or basil.
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Becky’s tips
- Long pasta like spaghetti or linguini work great in this recipe, but you can use shorter pasta like penne or fusilli.
- I made this with my favorite marinara sauce, but any pasta sauces will work great.
- Once cooked, you can keep the spaghetti warm in the slow cooker for up to 2 hours.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 711kcal (36%) Carbohydrates: 41g (14%) Protein: 38g (76%) Fat: 44g (68%) Saturated Fat: 16g (100%) Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g Monounsaturated Fat: 18g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 130mg (43%) Sodium: 1507mg (66%) Potassium: 1051mg (30%) Fiber: 4g (17%) Sugar: 9g (10%) Vitamin A: 827IU (17%) Vitamin C: 17mg (21%) Calcium: 226mg (23%) Iron: 5mg (28%)
Did You Make This?I want to see! Be sure to upload an image below & tag @thecookierookie on social media!
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