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ITALIAN SAUSAGE & GROUND BEEF SPAGHETTI SAUCE
I love making homemade spaghetti sauce in the slow cooker! Instead of simmering on the stove top, this Italian sausage spaghetti sauce simmers for hours in the slow cooker and develops a rich and deep flavor.
Serve over some pasta noodles and sprinkle with parmesan cheese for a delicious, straight from an Italian restaurant, pasta dinner.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE IN THE SLOW COOKER
- Cook and crumble ground beef, mild ground Italian sausage, salt, and diced onion in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drain the grease and add into the slow cooker.
- Dump the remaining ingredients into the slow cooker and stir it all together. Cover with lid and cook on LOW heat all day. It’s an easy set-it-and-forget- it crock pot recipe.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR ITALIAN SAUSAGE SPAGHETTI SAUCE
Ground Beef
Italian Sausage – I always use mild Italian sausage when I make this. I also have used the sweet Italian sausage before as well. If you want more spice and more of a kick, then use a hot Italian sausage. But if you’re cooking for kids I would definitely recommend using sweet or mild.
Crushed Tomatoes
Green Pepper
Beef Broth – You can use the reduced sodium beef broth or regular beef broth. If you use the reduced-sodium then be sure and check the taste and add more salt if necessary. I normally use regular beef broth because then I don’t need to add any additional salt and it has lots more flavor!
Tomato Sauce & Tomato Paste – If wanted, use a tomato sauce and tomato paste with Italian herbs in it. I have used regular tomato sauce and paste before, and I have also made this with the tomato sauce that has Italian herbs added to it. Either works fine.
Brown Sugar – Yes, you need this! With all the acid in this recipe (from the tomatoes) you need something sweet to balance it out. Use between 1-2 tablespoons depending on preference.
Italian seasoning, dried basil, garlic, salt, & pepper
TRY THESE OTHER HOMEMADE SPAGHETTI SAUCE RECIPES
- homemade spaghetti meat sauce
- easy weeknight (short-cut) spaghetti sauce
- the best homemade spaghetti sauce
Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Beef Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (I use garlic paste)
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (can also use granulated sugar)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Spray the insert of the slow cooker with cooking spray.
- In a skillet pan, over medium-high heat, add the ground beef, Italian sausage, onion, and salt. Cook and crumble until meat is browned. Drain grease. Add into the slow cooker.
- Add in the remaining ingredients and stir together. Cover with lid and cook on LOW heat for 7-8 hours.
- Serve over pasta noodles and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Leftovers freeze really well. I put extra spaghetti sauce in a quart-sized Ziploc freezer bag.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
I'd love to see it! You can share it with me on @togetherasfamilyblog and follow on Pinterest @together-as-family-blog-recipes or Facebook @togetherasfamilyblog for more!
Having a difficult time getting this recipe.
So sorry Bobby. I had some issues with my recipe plugin but it is all fixed now. Thank you for letting me know.
How many servings is this?
Lots! haha I would say easily 8+ adult servings. I will usually freeze the leftovers and then use it for any recipe that calls for pasta sauce or get another dinner out of it and serve over pasta noodles another night.
Does the meat not dry out after being in the crock pot since it’s already cooked when it goes in?
Nope. I actually love the texture that the ground meat gets in the slow cooker. It gets almost like melt in your mouth, super tender texture. It’s really yummy!
Hello!
I live in Arizona so you can imagine how hot it gets in the summer! This will be perfect! However, I do have one concern. Simmering on top of the stove reduces the sauce into heavenly bliss. How does cooking it in the crockpot compare? Thanks
This crockpot version is still plenty chunky but it is thinner than a traditional simmered stove top sauce. If you love that thickness, just take the lid of the slow cooker when it’s done cooking and that should have the same effect as simmering on the stove top. Or, just let this recipe simmer in a stock pot on the stove instead of the slow cooker.
Followed ingredients exactly, only had to do this in a big pot on the stovetop. Turned out excellent. Approx 2.5 hours covered, simmering. Then uncovered to thicken and cool. Made 11 – 1 1/3 cup servings. Excellent sauce. Froze leftover portions. Will make again in crock when I have one.
I’d like know what a serving size is for this dauce!? It sounds very delicious however! Taking great advantage of the Crockpot(the brand nam.) or slow cooker
:)!
Very tasty. I added more garlic then it called for, skipped the green pepper (my kids don’t like those) and added a can of diced tomatoes. Very good, we had it for family valentines dinner.
I made this with homed canned tomatoes and put 3 TBS of brown sugar in. Everyone loved it. Not much left over.
Used this recipe to teach my brother how to make spaghetti sauce and it was delicious! Brother said it tasted even better on day 2!
I love this! so happy to hear it was a hit.