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Crock Pot Spaghetti
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Your favorite family dinner can now be made easily in your slow cooker! This Crock Pot Spaghetti is so easy with tons of flavor. Tender spaghetti noodles, spicy Italian sausage in a creamy spaghetti sauce made with cream cheese. It’s our favorite way to enjoy spaghetti. Plus, it’s quick and easy for busy nights.
I love how creamy and yummy this spaghetti is. Plus, it makes a ton so invite those friends over or just feed your incredibly hungry family! It’s great for packing lunches the next day, too. I just toss together a side salad and breadsticks to finish this meal off.
The crock pot is such an amazing friend to busy families! It makes meals so quick and easy and the kids love them like my Crock Pot Lasagna and Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan.
We love this easy Instant Pot Spaghetti so I figured we’d love a good Crock Pot Spaghetti too.
Why you’ll love Crock Pot Spaghtti!
- I love that this spaghetti has Italian Sausage in it so it’s a little bit spicier, but as always you can use regular sausage or ground beef it the kick is to much especially for kids!
- The addition of cream cheese makes that sauce so creamy and rich. It really takes it up a notch!
- It’s great for when kids are in and out and can’t sit down for a meal all at once. They can just take a portion when they have time and enjoy dinner!
What people are saying about this recipe
“This was SO delicious! My whole family loved it. I did change it up just a bit, as all slow cookers heat a bit directly and what not. After 2hrs I turned it down to low and added the 3rd helping of sauce. My son and I have eaten it all day to for leftovers! I think it’d even better the 2nd day than the 1st. Thank you for sharing this recipe”
Ingredients Needed
- Italian sausage – Could also use ground beef or turkey. You can even skip the ground meat and use frozen meatballs instead.
- Seasonings – Salt, pepper, garlic salt will give it an extra boost of flavor. You could also add a little Italian Seasoning.
- Pasta sauce – Used your favorite jarred pasta sauce to make it quick and easy. You can also use a homemade sauce if you prefer.
- Spaghetti noodles – The cooking time is tested with regular spaghetti noodles. If you use a Angel Hair it will cook quicker so remember that!
- Cheeses – A mixture of Parmesan cheese and cream cheese make this so delicious and the sauce creamy!
- Chicken broth – The spaghetti will soak this up so it’s a must! In a pinch water might also work. We use low sodium chicken broth to lower the sodium.
Steps to Prepare
- Make Sauce – Brown the sausage seasoning with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Drain and set aside.
- Add to Crock Pot – Pour one jar of sauce on the bottom of the crockpot. Place spaghetti noodles on top of sauce. Layer the sausage on top of noodles. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Dice the cream cheese into little chunks and put on top of Parmesan cheese. Top with another jar of sauce.
- Cook – Cover crock pot and cook on high for 3 hours. After three hours stir spaghetti mixture and pour the last jar of pasta sauce and chicken broth into crock pot. Replace lid and cook on low for one additional hour.
Remember that every slow cooker cooks differently and at different temperatures. It’s important that you know your crock pot. Keep an eye on your pasta, stirring in regularly and test it so you know when it’s done. Overcooked pasta gets gummy, mushy and isn’t ideal!
Can spaghetti noodles be cooked in a crockpot?
Absolutely! It’s a great way to cook a big meal for a crowd – we love slow cooker spaghetti!
A quick note is that this pasta is a bit softer than traditional spaghetti that is boiled to al dente, but not mushy.
How long do you cook noodles in the crockpot?
It only takes four hours from start to finish to make crockpot spaghetti!
How can I prevent condensation on my Crock Pot lid?
This is such a quick and easy trick for all crock pot recipes! Simply cover the slow cooker with a dry dishtowel or several paper towels with the edges hanging over then place the lid on it. This will soak up that extra moisture. Grab both the lids and towels when removing it so it doesn’t fall into what you are cooking.
Love this spaghetti? You’ll love these recipes also!
- Not sure if you want Alfredo or Spaghetti? This amazing Baked Spaghetti Casserole is perfect because it has a layer of both!
- Hearty and delicious Spaghetti Pie has layers of noodles, cheese, and your favorite spaghetti toppings! It’s always a hit dinner recipe.
- Need something quick and easy? Try Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs that you can use homemade or frozen meatballs in!
- Best Ever Spaghetti and Meatballs is so easy to make because the homemade meatballs cook right in the sauce!
Try it and love it? Rate it, please! Seriously though a five-star rating below will make my day!
If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy meal!!!
Crock Pot Spaghetti
Tender spaghetti noodles, spicy Italian sausage in a creamy spaghetti sauce made with cream cheese in your slow cooker!
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 3 jars of pasta sauce (24 ounce each)
- 1 pound spaghetti noodles
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated or powder
- 4 ounces fat free cream cheese
- 14.5 oz can chicken broth low sodium
Instructions
- Brown Italian sausage in medium skillet. Season with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Drain grease and set sausage aside.
- Pour one jar of pasta sauce on the bottom of your crock pot. Break spaghetti noodles in half and place on top of sauce. Put sausage on top of noodles. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
- Cut cream cheese into little chunks and put in crock pot on top of Parmesan cheese. Pour another jar of pasta sauce over the cream cheese.
- Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours, stirring a few times throughout cooking time.
- After three hours stir spaghetti mixture. Pour last jar of pasta sauce and chicken broth into crock pot. Replace lid and cook on low for one hour.
Notes
- You can substitute the Italian sausage for ground beef, turkey or even chicken if you’d like. You can even skip the ground meat and use frozen meatballs instead!
- If you don’t want to use all chicken broth you can substitute some of it for water or all of it.
- Don’t have cream cheese? You can skip this ingredient, but the sauce won’t be as creamy.
- Remember that every slow cooker cooks differently and at different temperatures. It’s important that you know your crock pot. Keep an eye on your pasta, stirring in regularly and test it so you know when it’s done. Overcooked pasta gets gummy, mushy and isn’t ideal!
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 706kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 31gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 2970mgPotassium: 1601mgFiber: 8gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 1643IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 204mgIron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Would I have room to double it in a 6 qt crockpot?
No I don’t think you would!
I am going to try this recipe tonight with whole wheat spaghetti noodles. Looks delicious! I’ll let you know how the whole wheat noodles. Also, do you cook it on high for the first 3 hours and then turn to low for the last?
Yes that is the correct cooking temperatures. How did the whole wheat pasta go?
I was skeptical about trying Spaghetti in the crock pot but it tried it for a work party where my coworkers favorite food was spaghetti. It even made it a few weeks prior to make sure it would turn out. It was well liked both at home and at work. I will make again but generally stay away from carbs so it won’t be very often. I thought about trying Healthy Noodles with it to see if it would turn out the same. Note: make sure you stir it at least once an hour so spaghetti noodles don’t stick together and the sauce gets distributed throughout.
Would love to hear how the healthy noodles go! Glad you enjoyed it!
If you use frozen meatballs, do you need to cook them ahead of time or just put them into the slow cooker frozen?
I think thawed meatballs, usually they are precooked or just throwing them in frozen would work!
what size crockpot did you use?
I used a 6 quart.
How would you alter the recipe if you cooked the noodles separately? I did make this as is camping a month or so ago and we loved it! This time around we have some vegetarians.
Hey Keri, this one is a little hard to alter since the pasta will soak up the broth as it cooks. I’d maybe just leave out the broth or add a little if it’s to thick!
Will not using paper towels to collect condensation ruin the spaghetti?
No it should be fine.
Can you use shredded Parmesan cheese instead of grated?
Yes that should work fine!
My roommate and I ran out of gas for our oven on a Sunday in the Caribbean. I’m so thankful for this recipe! Saved the day for hungry vet students the night before exams!
Glad we could help!
This was DELICIOUS! The whole family just wolfed it down! The only thing I did differently was I turned the crock pot down to low at 2hrs and added the 3rd can of sauce at that time. No change in the recipe at all, just cooking time because every crock pot heats differently. I would reccomend this to anyone for sure
Kevin – I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Glad you could adjust the cooking time to work with your crock pot!
This was SO delicious! My whole family loved it. I did change it up just a bit, as all slow cookers heat a bit dirrebtly and what not. After 2hrs I turned it down to low and added the 3rd helping of sauce. My son and I have eaten it all day to for leftovers! I think it’d even better the 2nd day than the 1st. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Differently not dirrebtly lol. I fat fingered the keyboard 😂. But again, this was so amazingly delicious
Happens to me all the time 🙂
Differently not dirrebtly lol
Happens to me all the time 🙂
Way to make this work for your kitchen! I’m so glad to hear that you loved it!
Can I get away with using 2 jars of sauce instead of 3?
Hi Alejandro – I haven’t tried this recipe was 2 jars of sauce but you could certainly give it a try! Let me know how it turns out!
So enjoy all your recipes Julie! Thank you for sharing!!!!!
Awesome Maureen! That is so kind of you to say!