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.

Easy spaghetti sauce.

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 my easy spaghetti sauce recipe now?

Ingredients for easy spaghetti sauce.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Spaghetti sauce
  • Diced tomatoes
  • Tomato sauce
  • Italian seasoning (you could also use our zesty seasoning recipe if you like)
  • Sugar
  • Cooked ground beef 

How to Make Super Easy Spaghetti Sauce

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker.

Dump everything in the slow cooker: sauce, tomato sauce, tomatoes, and beef. If you have fresh tomatoes, by all means, cut up a few of those and put them in there instead of the canned tomatoes.

You absolutely do not have to cook this in a slow cooker. I just like the convenience of having it cook all day and then all I have to do is boil my pasta to have supper!

Add water to jars to remove any remaining sauce.

Be sure you put a few tablespoons of water in the sauce jar and give it a good shake to get the last bits out, too!

Add Italian seasoning to the slow cooker.

Add some Italian seasoning. I am using about a tablespoon and a half.

Add sugar to slow cooker.

And I always add a tablespoon of sugar to help bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes.

Give it a stir, cover, and cook on low all day.

If you’d rather cook this on the stovetop, I recommend bringing it to a boil, reducing the heat to low, and simmering the homemade spaghetti sauce for about 30 minutes.

Easy spaghetti sauce.

Serve over your favorite cooked pasta (it doesn’t have to be spaghetti noodles) and dinner is complete!

I also recommend sprinkling some parmesan cheese and fresh herbs like fresh basil on top if you have some available.

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.

Recipe Notes

  • If you’d rather, you can substitute Italian sausage or shredded chicken for the beef.
  • To thicken this homemade spaghetti 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 canned tomatoes, if you like, you can substitute the diced tomatoes for a crushed tomato can.
  • For more flavor, add minced garlic.

Recipe FAQs

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.

Check out these other Italian-inspired easy supper ideas:

Linda’s Old Fashioned Spaghetti (Crock Pot)

Crock Pot Lasagna

Cheese Stuffed Shells (3 Cheeses Included)

Baked Feta and Tomato Pasta

Super Easy Spaghetti Sauce

All we need is 6 simple ingredients to jazz up store-bought spaghetti sauce and make this super easy spaghetti sauce recipe, full of tasty tomato flavor and seasonings.
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: sauce, spaghetti
Servings: 4

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
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

 

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86 Comments

  1. I am so happy to have found your site! My grocery bills are sky high and climbing, although I still would rather pay a grocery bill than a Doctor bill I am at the point that I almost need a Doctor visit after grocery shopping. My hubby has mandated that our grocery bill has to be reduced (he’s talking beans and potatoes for Breakfast,lunch and dinner)so your site is a BLESSING because I need to learn to feed my family on alot less! We need to put some kind of cushion between us and devastation in case of a job loss. Thank you so much for sharing your efforts with everyone! I will be visiting your site religiously! I would love to know if anybody would like to share their alternate favorite site’s that can help transform me into a well informed, resourceful and frugal domestic engineer? Well, maybe just a go-fur for now!!
    Thanks a bunch,
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    1. I have a whole list of things for next week, including TONS of great resources for you! Get your pen and paper out or get that printer ready and hang on to your hats! We’re gonna save us some money!

  2. I guess a better way to explain how my granny would say “Italian” is “Eye-talian”!! Hope that clarifies things for you!

    Best Regards,
    Lisa

  3. Love the idea of being frugal with both os us being retired and on limited income.

    My husband like spicey foods so I am going to try the spaghetti sauce but use 1/2 ground hot sausage and the rest ground beef.

  4. Christy, I am just betting that your grandmother says “Italian” just like my granny always did–“I-talian”!!

    Does your grandmother say “Freench” for “French”, too?

  5. great idea!!! thanks so much for this wonderful idea! i absolutely LOVE your blog! thanks so much for sharing!!!

  6. I do pretty much the same thing. Except my DH and sons ARE brand specific. If I don’t use Ragu Chunky – Tomato, Garlic, & Onion style, they can tell – and they revolt! I dress mine up by browning the ground beef and sauteeing onion and bell pepper and garlic together, then adding those along with a bay leaf. I never take out the bay leaf before serving because in our family, whoever gets the leaf on their plate is King (or Queen) of dinner. Which really means nothing except you get bragging rights…
    I always get such nice compliments on my spaghetti sauce!

    Can’t wait for frugal week! It’s getting harder living on one income these days, but I feel so blessed to be able to be a stay at home mom. You’re doing your part to help those of us who live this way- be proud, sister! 🙂
    Blessings,
    Becky

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