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Come home to an Italian feast with this Slow Cooker ITALIAN SAUSAGE & BEEF SPAGHETTI SAUCE. Two meats simmer all day long in the crock pot for maximum flavor. Leftovers freeze really well for another pasta dinner night.
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Slow Cooker Italian Sausage and Beef Spaghetti Sauce

Come home to an Italian feast with this Slow Cooker Italian Sausage & Beef Spaghetti Sauce. Two meats simmer all day long in the crock pot for maximum flavor. Leftovers freeze really well for another pasta dinner night.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword homemade spaghetti sauce recipe, italian sausage spaghetti sauce, slow cooker spaghetti sauce
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Servings 12 servings (1 cup each)
Calories 276kcal
Author Jessica

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

If you want more spice then use hot Italian sausage
 
I use regular, full-salt beef broth for this recipe. The slow cooker tends to mute flavors with the long cooking time, so I prefer the salt in the beef broth. If you use low sodium beef broth, you may want to add additional salt after the cook time. Just taste and season to preference. 
 
When you take off the lid after the cook time the sauce will seem really thin and almost liquidy. Leave the sauce in the slow cooker with the lid off to let it thicken up. This sauce is nice and thick, but may not appear to be when you first take off the lid. 

Nutrition

Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 1122mg | Potassium: 678mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 577IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg