Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

At long last, I am posting another new recipe!  I seriously made this meal, and took the photos back in JANUARY, and I am just getting around to blogging it.  Let's just say being the mom of two young boys can be very busy! :)

On to the recipe!  This is soooo good ya'll!  I cannot take complete credit for everything though.  The meatball recipe is from Our Best Bites blog, and the idea of combining Ragu spaghetti sauce and a can of Rotel is from She's Becoming Doughmesstic's blog. (Check out both of their blogs, they are fantastic!)  However, the idea to marry the two recipes, and use the crock pot is all mine.  And boy it was a good one!  Let's get started...

Gather your ingredients...

Make your meatballs, and place them on a foil-lined and sprayed baking sheet. (Making your own homemade meatballs is so worth it, and really key to this recipe!)

Place under the broiler until lightly browned and fragrant...

Combine the Ragu sauce, a can of mild Rotel, and the browned meatballs in your crock pot and cook on low for about 3 to 4 hours, that's it!

When your meatballs are cooked, boil your spaghetti according to package directions.  Serve spaghetti topped with the sauce and meatballs, and parmesan cheese if desired...  YUM!

This recipe is so simple yet so delicious and comforting.  The only real work is making the meatballs, but they come together quickly, and hey, it's all done in a crock pot after that!  Combining the amazing recipe for meatballs, with the "secret" ingredient of mild Rotel in the sauce, is the key to it's yumminess!  In a pinch, I'm sure you could simmer this sauce for 30 to 45 minutes on the stove top if you are short for time.  I just like to plan ahead for the crock pot to do the work of finishing cooking the meatballs, and combining all the flavors so well!

Crock Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs

For meatballs:
1/2 lb. Ground Beef
1/2 lb. Sweet Italian Sausage
2 Eggs, beaten
1/4 Cup Plain Bread Crumbs
2 Tbs. Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp. Basil
1/2 tsp. Parsley
1/4 Cup Dehydrated Onion
1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper

For Sauce:
1 Family-Sized Jar of Ragu Old World Style Flavored with Meat (2 lb. 13 oz.)
1 can MILD Rotel  (I made it once with regular, and it was too hot for our taste for this recipe...)

1 lb. of Spaghetti (cooked according to package directions...)

1.  Turn on the oven broiler.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Set aside.

2.  Gently combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a medium bowl.  Shape meat mixture into meatballs.  A cookie scoop is great for helping maintain a uniform size, although you can make them bigger or smaller if you'd like.  (Makes about 36 meatballs.)  Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet.

3.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and cook for 7-10 minutes under the broiler, or until the meatballs are becoming brown and fragrant.  Since you are finishing the cooking of the meatballs in the sauce in the crock pot, it is best to cook them until they're just brown so they can release some of their flavor into the cooking liquid.

4.  Combine the Jar of Ragu and Rotel in the crock pot, and then add in the meatballs.  Stir gently to combine, then cook on low for about 3 to 4 hours.

Serve sauce and meatballs with cooked spaghetti and freshly grated parmesan on top if desired.

Serve with some homemade garlic bread and and a nice salad and you have a meal to remember.

Enjoy!