This crockpot spaghetti meat sauce might just be your family’s new favorite weeknight dinner! Trust me when I say it’s one of the easiest dump-and-go meals you’ll ever prep, and it’s protein-packed, great for the fussy eaters at your table, and tastes amazing piled over a big plate of pasta. I’m going to give you some more serving ideas too, as this is a real staple and there are tons of options for shaking things up so you can make it again and again.

You brown the beef and Italian sausage for that deep, cozy flavor, add the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and herbs, then let the slow cooker take over and do its magic. Seriously, that’s how simple it is!

Make sure you don’t miss more of my popular crockpot recipes. I think you’ll also like my crockpot Mexican pulled pork, crockpot white chicken chili, crockpot jambalaya, crockpot cheeseburger soup, and crockpot chicken curry!

Ingredients

Note: You’ll find your printable recipe card at the bottom of this post! It covers ingredients, measurements, and simple step-by-step instructions.

Ground beef — hearty, classic sauce base
Ground Italian sausage — adds rich, savory flavor and seasoning
Onion, diced — builds depth and sweetness
Garlic, minced — big, cozy flavor
Jarred pasta sauce — easy shortcut to a flavorful base
Crushed tomatoes — adds body and fresh tomato flavor
Italian seasoning — herby blend that ties everything together
Brown sugar — balances the acidity of the tomatoes
Cayenne pepper — subtle background heat
Bay leaf — adds slow-simmered depth
Salt and pepper — simple seasoning to taste

How To Make Crockpot Spaghetti Meat Sauce

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking the meat into smaller chunks as it cooks.

Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes, until softened and fragrant, then transfer everything to the slow cooker.

Pour in the pasta sauce and crushed tomatoes, then add the Italian seasoning, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Give it all a good stir, cover, and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours.

Serve the rich, meaty sauce over cooked spaghetti noodles and finish with freshly grated Parmesan and herbs.

Storage & Reheating

Store any leftover sauce in a sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

To reheat, warm it on the stovetop over medium heat for about 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.

Substitutions & Variations

You can use all ground beef or all Italian sausage instead of a mix. Either works great depending on what you have on hand or the flavor you’re craving.

For an extra hearty, meat-lover’s version, feel free to add another pound of meat to make the sauce even thicker and more filling.

If you want to bulk it up with veggies, stir in sliced mushrooms, chopped zucchini, diced bell peppers, or olives for extra texture and flavor.

Serving Ideas

Serve this rich meat sauce ladled over your favorite cooked pasta — spaghetti, rigatoni, penne, or whatever’s in the pantry all work beautifully. Finish bowls with freshly grated Parmesan and a sprinkle of fresh herbs for that restaurant-style touch.

This sauce is also amazing spooned over baked spaghetti or layered into lasagna, tucked into stuffed shells or manicotti, or served on toasted garlic bread for easy sloppy-joe-style sandwiches. You can even pile it over roasted veggies or spoon it onto creamy mashed potatoes for a fun comfort-food twist.

Recipe Notes

Browning the meats before adding them to the slow cooker is a key step. It builds a richer, deeper flavor and keeps the sauce from tasting flat or greasy.

Using a blend of ground beef and Italian sausage gives the sauce the best balance of hearty texture and built-in seasoning, but feel free to adjust the ratio based on what you have or prefer.

The touch of brown sugar doesn’t make the sauce sweet, it just balances the acidity of the tomatoes and rounds out the flavors for that slow-simmered taste.

If your sauce looks a little thin near the end of cooking, crack the lid and let it cook uncovered for the last 20–30 minutes to thicken naturally.

This sauce only gets better with time. It tastes even richer the next day after the flavors have had more time to mingle.

Print Recipe

Crockpot Spaghetti Meat Sauce

This crockpot spaghetti meat sauce is rich, hearty, and slow-simmered to perfection with ground beef, Italian sausage, tomatoes, and cozy Italian herbs. Everything cooks low and slow for a deep, flavorful sauce that’s effortless to make and perfect for ladling over your favorite pasta.

Prep Time15

Cook Time6

Total Time6 15

Course: Main Course

Servings:

Ingredients

1 lb 85/15 ground beef
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 onion diced
3 garlic cloves minced
2 jars pasta sauce 24 oz. each
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef and Italian sausage, breaking the meat into smaller chunks as it cooks.
Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes, until softened and fragrant, then transfer everything to the slow cooker.
Pour in the pasta sauce and crushed tomatoes, then add the Italian seasoning, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Give it all a good stir, cover, and cook on LOW for 6–8 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours.
Serve the rich, meaty sauce over cooked spaghetti noodles and finish with freshly grated Parmesan and herbs.

This is one of those recipes you’ll come back to again and again — simple ingredients, big comforting flavor, and a slow cooker doing most of the heavy lifting. Whether you’re feeding the family or stocking the fridge with leftovers for the week, this spaghetti meat sauce never disappoints. Dinner suddenly feels a whole lot easier! If you try this one, please do leave a comment and a star rating below! It really helps others who might be thinking about making the recipe, and it also helps me to create more recipes that you’ll enjoy making at home.