Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs
Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs is always a family favorite. The lean meatballs are served in a delicious, easy homemade tomato sauce.
Servings: 8 Servings
Calories: 446.5kcal
Ingredients
The meatballs:
- 1 ¼ pounds lean (93%) ground beef
- ½ yellow onion peeled & grated
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup minced flat-leaf parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 egg
- 1 egg white
- ½ cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
The sauce:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 ounces tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 42 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
- 4 large basil leaves thinly sliced
The rest:
- 1 pound spaghetti, whole wheat or regular cooked according to package directions & drained
- Grated Parmesan cheese* for serving
- Minced flat-leaf parsley for serving
Instructions
The meatballs:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Place a baking rack on top of the foil and lightly spray it with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together the ground beef, onion, garlic, parsley, oregano, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper until combined.
- Using a 2 tablespoon portion of the meat mixture, form meatballs by rolling between the palms of your hands. Place the meatballs on the prepared rack on the baking sheet, spacing evenly.
- Bake until the meatballs are almost firm to the touch and still pink inside, 12 to 15 minutes. Using tongs, immediately transfer the meatballs to a large slow cooker, scraping any accumulated fat off the bottom of the meatballs.
The sauce:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and oregano, and cook until the onions are starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cooking, stirring, for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste, salt and pepper to the onions and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and the basil. Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the slow cooker.
- Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook for 5 hours. Serve the sauce and meatballs over the spaghetti. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese and parsley, if desired.
Video
Notes
Weight Watchers Points: 10 (Freestyle SmartPoints)
*Not included in the nutritional information.
Nutrition
Serving: 4meatballs + 1 ⅓ cup pasta + sauce | Calories: 446.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 60.8g | Protein: 30.4g | Fat: 9.1g | Saturated Fat: 2.9g | Cholesterol: 81.6mg | Sodium: 546.4mg | Fiber: 9.5g | Sugar: 11.2g
