I am so excited to share today's recipe with you. And I really think you're going to be just as happy after you read it. And even happier when you eventually try it, because I'm telling you, it's out of this world! Seriously, this is probably one of the best pasta dishes I've ever made. Oh, and did I mention you get to use your Crock Pot too? If I didn't have your attention before, I do now! But first, let me back up a little...
Over a year ago a friend was telling me about this amazing spaghetti she had the recipe for. It reminded her of a restaurant quality dish, easily made at home, and in the slow cooker none the less. Well, I was instantly intrigued. There was only one problem. At this time, I still had my old Crock Pot. The one I had gotten right after we were married, at a garage sale for $.25! It was the green, upright kind your mom probably used to have. And while it worked perfectly find, and I could make tons of dishes in it, when my friend told me about this, I was kind of doubtful it would turn out the same as it would cooked in the newer oval style. I'm not saying it wouldn't have, but I was just skeptical enough not to try it. So, she jotted down the recipe and I put it in the back of my recipe box, where is stayed until just recently.
See, only about 3 months after this conversation, Christmas 2013, I got a brand new Crock Pot, in the new updated oval style! I was so excited, and happy to retire my old one to the Goodwill so someone else could get some use out of it. Well, that was now over a year ago, and I am just now making this recipe! Why? Because that's what happens when you put something in the back of your recipe box and totally forget about it.
Boy oh boy was I thrilled when I stumbled upon it; and after making it our stomachs were even happier. This spaghetti is so creamy, cooked to perfection (As long as you read the note below!) and is full of delicious flavors. Now, I know when some of you read it, you're going to ask me, "Why so much sauce?" The answer is easy, as the noodles cook, they absorb it, soaking in all its goodness. Instead of boiling in water, soaking it up, it is essentially doing the same thing in all that sauce, resulting in an absolutely amazing meal.
If you haven't went back through some of your old recipes lately, you should! Especially if you are like me and have ones on little pieces of scrap paper, shoved to the back of a recipe box, that you haven't thought about in months, or even years. Sometimes, they are the ones that will lead to the yummiest results.
Crock Pot Creamy Spaghetti
1 lb. spaghetti noodles, broke in half
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
3 (24 oz.) jars traditional spaghetti sauce
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 c. chicken broth
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dried Parsley for garnish
Preheat Crock Pot to HIGH. In a large skillet brown beef. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. When beef is no longer pink, drain if necessary. In bottom of Crock Pot, pour 1 jar of sauce. Lay spaghetti noodles on top of sauce. Add beef and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. With fingers, break up cream cheese over meat. Pour 1 jar sauce over top. Cook on HIGH for 2.5-3 hours. Stir. Add chicken broth and last jar of sauce. It will be very thick. If you like a thinner consistency, add more chicken broth. If pasta isn't tender, cook 1 additional hour. Stir well before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired. *NOTE* My pasta was perfectly cooked after 2.5 hours. I turned the heat down to Keep Warm until serving. If it dries out, you can always add more broth and stir.
Shared on The Country Cook Jan. 31, 2014
18 comments:
When do you add the pasta?
Right after the first jar of sauce, before the beef. 5th line of recipe:) Thanks for asking!
Seems like an awful lot of sauce! :)
Hi Krista! I made this spaghetti tonight for supper, and while it was very tasty, it was also very starchy, but filling! :) I think I will try this recipe again, but cook the spaghetti first, and just use the crockpot to heat it all up. The pasta was perfectly cooked in 2.5 hours, like you said.and Very tasty. So when I make it again, I will let you know the results!
Thanks so much for a yummy recipe :)
Hi Anonymous! Yes, it's a lot of sauce, but like I stated in the post, the pasta soaks it up, and as you can see in the picture, it's not runny at all.
Hi Becky! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Sorry it was too starchy for you, I didn't notice that, but being the carb/pasta lovers we are, we might just enjoy that aspect too. LOL
No is stupid right? ...should the ground beef be cooked first?
First line of recipe says to brown it with seasonings :)
Could this be cooked on low and if so how long - work full time and love my slow cooker... always looking for awesome recipes... Thanks
I can't say for sure about cooking on low, since I never have. I will tell you that if you choose to, simply double the cooking time. That being said, I will also tell you my only concern. Cooking the pasta on high is a "fake out" for boiling on the stove, allowing it to cook to the perfect texture. I'm not sure if cooking on low would result in the same. Just a head's up :)
How long do you continue cooking it once you add the broth and last jar of sauce if the noodles are tender?
Mine are always tender by that point, so I add the broth and last jar of sauce, stir to combine and let it warm through about 10 minutes on low and serve.
I've made this two times, and while it tastes delicious, any noodles that touch the inside edges of my crockpot burn! The second time I sprayed the inside, but I got the same result. And that was after 2.5 hours. Any tips for not burning the noodles?
Mmm I'm sorry you're having some trouble. I have a few stray noodles that get a little too brown but I've never had any burn. Are you breaking them in half, so they are small enough to fit in the center? The only other thing I could suggest is as soon as they are soft enough stir it a bit to try to avoid the edges. I know that's not that great of advice if you aren't home when it cooks, so I apologize. Make sure too the noodles are totally nestled in the sauce. Hope this helped somewhat :)
How much does this recipe serve? I am cooking for @40 people and thought this would be quick and easy,of course I will make about 3 crock pots full and maybe a 4th. It sounds really good.
Hi Marsha,
While this is a very hearty recipe, and it's so rich, it fills you up quickly, with only 1 lb. of noodles, it made enough for my family of 3, with some left over, so I'd say it would feed 5 or 6 decent portions. Hope this helps!
I make this recipe all of the time but I continue to have one problem. Once the dish is supposed to be finished, I have several globs of under cooked spaghetti that I usually just pull out and throw away. Tonight I pulled them out a little early, separated the spaghetti noodles and then stirred them back in. How do I avoid this next time?
Hi Amy! I wish I had a definite answer for you, but I will try to give you a couple possible hints. I’ve neber had that issue, so I’m winging it. I use a 6 quart and wouldn’t recommend smaller for this recipe. Try stirring it more often. If your crock pot has hot spots, that might be hindering you. Stir with a spaghetti spoon to make sure the noodles are separating. Add a little extra broth. Sorry I can’t be
More helpful but I am glad to hear you enjoy it!
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