Super Easy Spaghetti Sauce in the Crockpot
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All we need is 6 ingredients to jazz up store-bought spaghetti sauce and make this super easy spaghetti sauce recipe, full of tasty tomato flavor, ground beef, and seasonings.
I love store-bought spaghetti sauce, even though my mother didn’t even know it existed until we were nearly teens. Once she tried it, she was hooked on the ease and the quality. Still, I like to dress mine up a bit. This both customizes the flavor but also serves to make your pasta sauce go further.
Making your meat sauce go further is important because I REALLY want you to have some leftover spaghetti sauce. It is VERY important you have some leftovers, so you can make my spaghetti lover’s soup. This is a supper recipe everyone in my family loves.
Now, it couldn’t be easier to make my super easy spaghetti sauce (hence the name!). All you need is store-bought spaghetti sauce, Italian seasoning, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, sugar, and ground beef. Then we do my favorite type of cooking: dump the ingredients in the slow cooker and walk away! After a long day at work, you’ll come home to a kitchen smelling absolutely delectable and dinner done. Just cook your favorite pasta and serve it to your hungry family. It’s that simple.
Alright, who’s ready to make our Super Easy Spaghetti Sauce recipe now?
What You’ll Need to Make Super Easy Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- spaghetti sauce
- diced tomatoes
- tomato sauce
- Italian Seasoning (you could substitute our zesty seasoning recipe)
- sugar
- ground beef
How to Make Super Easy Spaghetti Sauce
Brown ground beef in a non-stick or cast iron skillet. I love using a ground beef chopper for this job!
Drain off any fat from the gorund beef and place in the bottom of a crock pot.
Next, add the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce, and canned tomatoes over the ground beef then add the Italian seasoning and sugar.
Stir everything together, then cover and cook on low 5-6 hours.
When cooked, the sauce will have thickened slightly. Note: You can skip the crockpot and cook this on the stovetop instead. Bring everything I recommend to a boil in a large saucepan, then reduce the heat to low, and simmering the homemade spaghetti sauce for 30 minutes or more.
Serve over your favorite cooked pasta (it doesn’t have to be spaghetti noodles) and dinner is complete!
Sprinkling some and like fresh basil on top adds freshness and some depth of flavor.
Storage
- Store leftover spaghetti meat sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can quickly reheat them in the microwave.
- You can also freeze leftovers for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge before microwaving.
Notes and Substitutions for Super Easy Spaghetti Sauce
- If you’d rather, you can substitute Italian sausage or shredded chicken for the beef.
- To thicken this sauce recipe (and include some secret veggies), add 2 grated carrots. Other veggies you can include are finely diced onion, mushroom or bell pepper, and grated zucchini.
- To make this vegetarian, simply remove the ground beef. The pasta sauce will still taste delicious without!
- For heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Instead of serving with spaghetti, go low-carb and use zoodles (zucchini noodles).
- When it comes to , if you like, you can substitute the for a can.
- For more , add .
Recipe FAQs for Super Easy Spaghetti Sauce
What do you serve with spaghetti sauce and pasta?
This is a delicious main dish as is, but if you like, you can serve your pasta with a side dish, like Italian cucumber salad, Caesar salad, garlic bread, or zucchini and squash.
More Italian-inspired Easy Supper Ideas You’ll Love
- Linda’s Old Fashioned Spaghetti (Crock Pot)
- Crock Pot Lasagna
- Cheese Stuffed Shells (3 Cheeses Included)
- Baked Feta and Tomato Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 jars spaghetti sauce
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef browned and drained
Instructions
- Dump all ingredients into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low all day. Serve homemade sauce over freshly cooked pasta.2 jars spaghetti sauce, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp Italian seasoning, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
I am so excited about this week of posts. I LOVE saving money. It is an obsession. I can’t wait to learn about the freezer cooking. I LOVE your website.
YUM…sounds really good and easy! I’m making ur lasagna tonight for dinner! 😀 Can’t wait! I’ve made it once already and it was awesome! Thanks, hope u have an awesome day today!
I am SOO going to be stalking your blog for the money saving ideas, Im going to do this spaghetti sauce one YAyy, great idea, Thanks, Carm
Hey Christy,
I typically make my sauce like that (shh don’t tell my italian grandmother, gravy does not come from a jar), but I add a few boneless pork chops and some sweet sausage (I just cut up the raw sausage, and leave the chops whole, just throw it in the crock pot)
Its cooks and soaks up all of the yummy flavors from the sauce.
I am looking forward to your freezer and monthly cooking.
Cathy
Cathy, adding the pork chops and sausage has been officially moved to the top of my list of “Most Brilliant Ideas Ever”.
Seriously.
I feel like you just altered my life – its THAT Brilliant!!!!
~Christy 🙂
P.S. BRILLIANT!
This sounds like a winner for 2 old people. I like to cook big and freeze for later meals.
Inexpensive meals.. YES PLEASE! My dad used to dump about a cup or two of mild Pace picante sauce in with a jar of sauce. I thought it was it was pretty good but I’m weird. Can’t wait for the “cheap meals” tutorials. Everyone needs that!
Not so weird! We like spicy spaghetti sauce, too! I’ve never tried adding salsa, but a couple of weeks ago, I did add a can of jalapeno black olives to a jar of spicy spaghetti sauce. That sauce really had a kick!
I sometimes add Cajun seasoning and hot sauce to mine! 🙂
I love a little bit of spice in my pasta sauce! I usually just add ground chilli powder though.
Are you sure we aren’t sisters Christy??? Except for the slow cooker, I do my “shortcut version” of sauce near about identical! I usually buy the cheapo canned sauces because once you enhance it, it really doesn’t make much difference. Fast and easy!
I used to do Once a Month freezer cooking a long time ago – can’t wait to see what you post!!
I think we are!
I used to teach the once a month freezer cooking! lol
I LOVE the canned spaghetti sauce, especially Del Monte. Its yum!!!!
Definitely sisters, definitely!
(That means I get to eat at your house!)
~giggle~
Christy 🙂
Yep, Del Monte is the one I use most – it’s cheap!
I truly think we were separated at birth, I swear!!!
And you can come eat at my house anytime so long as I can come and eat some sweets at yours!!!! After Lent, of course. 😉