Sunday Sauce: Slow Cooker Homemade Meat Sauce

Let’s just get this out of the way: yes, you could buy a jar of meat sauce. But why would you, when you could toss a few things in the slow cooker, do literally anything else all day (scroll TikTok, go touch grass, IDK), and come back to the most luscious, rich, cozy meat sauce your spaghetti has ever seen?

Just dump, stir, walk away, and the slow cooker will do the rest. This sauce gets better the longer it simmers, and it tastes like something from a little Italian place with checkered tablecloths and a Nonna in the back who definitely doesn’t mess around.

Why You’ll Love It:

• It’s super low effort (your slow cooker does the heavy lifting).
• You can make a huge batch and freeze it for future pasta emergencies (aka Mondays).
• It’s packed with flavor—ground beef, tomato-y goodness, garlic, herbs—and the slow simmer brings it all together like magic.
• Makes your whole house smell like a hug.

Hot Tip:
Did you know slow cooking helps tomatoes develop a deeper umami flavor? That’s why this sauce tastes like it’s been simmering on a stovetop for hours—because, well, it has. Just with none of the babysitting.

How to Use It:
Obviously toss it with pasta, but don’t stop there: spoon it over roasted veggies, layer it in lasagna, dunk garlic bread in it like a soup, or eat it straight with a spoon. No judgment.

The Vibe:
This recipe is for the girlies (and guys) who want to cook at home but also want to keep things chill. It’s homemade, but not hard. Impressive, but not intimidating. Comfort food, but make it 2025.

Slow Cooker Meat Sauce

This slow cooker meat sauce is rich, cozy, and ridiculously easy—like Sunday dinner with zero stress.Let it simmer all day while you do literally anything else, then serve over pasta and watch everyone lose their minds.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:3 hours hrs

Total Time:3 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1/2 yellow onion finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp beef bouillon
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• Salt + Pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pound spaghetti

Instructions

• In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, add garlic and cook for another minute.
• Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up as you go.
• Transfer the beef mixture to your slow cooker.
• Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, a bay leaf, brown sugar, water, and bouillon. Stir it all together.
• Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours or high for 3–4 hours.
• About 20 minutes before you’re ready to eat, boil your pasta.
• Toss the bay leaf, then serve the sauce over the pasta with a shower of grated Parmesan on top.

Servings: 4