Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti

Tired of juggling boiling pots and messy casserole dishes? This Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti recipe is the simplest, most definitive way to make a comforting family favorite.

By using your crockpot, the two pounds of savory ground beef and rich tomato sauce simmer perfectly, allowing the spaghetti noodles to cook right in the liquid. This process eliminates cleanup and produces a deeply flavored, gooey, “baked” texture that makes this crock pot spaghetti recipe a true weeknight game-changer.

Ingredients for a Hearty Baked Spaghetti

Main Components:

• 16 oz Spaghetti noodles
• 2 LBS Ground Beef
• 1 cup Cheddar cheese (optional, for mixing into the sauce)
• 1 Cup chicken broth

Aromatics and Seasoning:

• 3/4 Onion Diced
• 1 TSP Minced Garlic
• 1 TSP Salt
• 1 TSP Pepper
• 1 TSP Italian Seasoning
• 1 TSP Garlic Powder

Sauce Base:

• 1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 2 (24 oz) pasta Jars or 48 oz of pasta sauce

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How to Make Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti

This recipe moves quickly, so be sure to break it down into the two easy phases below: the initial browning and the slow cooker assembly.

1. Initial Prep: Browning and Seasoning the Beef

This short phase is done outside the crockpot and builds the foundation of your rich, meaty sauce.

1. Brown and Season: Start by browning Ground beef and season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning.
2. Add Onions: When ground beef is 3/4 cooked add In onions and mix well cook until done.
3. Add Garlic: Next, add minced garlic cook until fragrant for 4-5 mins.
4. Strain Grease: Strain and sit aside. This step is important because it prevents your sauce from becoming too oily during the slow cook.

2. Assembly and Final Cooking in the Crockpot

Now, the slow cooker takes over. This is where the sauce simmers to perfection and cooks the spaghetti.

1. Assemble Sauce: Add the Following to your crockpot: Pasta sauce, Diced Tomatoes, Ground beef, Cheddar cheese (optional). Mix well. We include the garlic powder here for extra depth of flavor.
2. Initial Cook: Cover and cook on High for 2 hrs.
3. Add Noodles (Phase 1): After 2 hours mix sauce. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 of your noodles broke in Half. Mix noodles into sauce gently.
4. Add Noodles (Phase 2): And remaining spaghetti noodles and chicken broth mix into pasta gently. Make sure all noodles are fully submerged in the liquid.
5. Final Cook: Cover for additional 30 minutes on high.
6. Serve: After 30 minutes mix well. Serve and Enjoy!

Recipe Notes and Serving Suggestions

• Why Break the Noodles? You must break the spaghetti in half before adding them. Otherwise, they won’t fully submerge, and parts of the pasta will not cook properly.
• For a Gooey Top: For that classic, stringy “baked” spaghetti look, you can always swap out the cheddar cheese. Instead, use 1 cup of shredded mozzarella. Sprinkle it over the top of the dish during the final 10 minutes of cooking, and the steam will melt it beautifully.
• Storage: Leftovers are fantastic! Simply store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They reheat wonderfully in the microwave.
• Serving Suggestions: This dish is very filling on its own. However, it pairs perfectly with a crisp side of Caesar salad or a few slices of buttery garlic bread for a complete Italian-style meal.