Description
A rich, comforting slow cooker ground beef meal perfect for weeknights, potlucks, or freezer prep. It’s saucy, cheesy, and packed with hearty flavor—all made with minimal effort in your crockpot.
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (85–90% lean)
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 jar (24 oz) marinara sauce
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
2 cups uncooked pasta (penne or rotini work well)
1½ cups shredded mozzarella
½ cup grated Parmesan
1½ cups water or low-sodium broth
1 tbsp olive oil (optional, for sautéing)
Instructions
Brown the Beef (Optional but Recommended)
In a skillet, heat olive oil. Add ground beef, onion, and garlic. Cook until beef is browned and onion is soft (6–7 minutes). Drain any excess grease.Assemble in Crockpot
In the slow cooker, add the browned beef mixture, marinara, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and uncooked pasta. Pour in the water or broth and stir well.Cook
Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours or HIGH for 2–2.5 hours, until pasta is tender.Add Cheese
In the last 15 minutes of cooking, stir in 1 cup mozzarella and the Parmesan. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup mozzarella on top and cover until melted.
Serve
Garnish with fresh basil or parsley, if desired. Serve hot with garlic bread or a green salad.
Notes
- 🍝 Pasta Type: Avoid thin noodles like angel hair; they may get mushy.
- 🧀 Cheese Swap: Try provolone, fontina, or cheddar for variety.
- 🍅 No Tomatoes? Use an extra cup of marinara if you skip canned tomatoes.
- 🧊 Meal Prep: Cools and freezes well. Great for batch cooking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 3–4 hours (low)
- Cuisine: American-Italian
Nutrition
- Calories: 410
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 640mg
- Fat: 18g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 55mg