So Glad I Saved It

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