I use my crockpot all year long because I love the idea of having dinner ready and clean up complete before evening sets in. Especially with young children, those late afternoon hours can be some of the most hectic of the day. It’s typically when everyone decides they ‘need me’ and ‘hanger’ creeps in…it’s not pretty. The busy holiday season also leads me to turn to the crockpot as often as I can. I know there are tons of Pinterest boards and a gazillion crockpot recipes out there, but I honestly only have a handful that my family really loves. This being the case, I’m always on the lookout for another really good one to add to my file. We’ve now made this Beef and Cheese Pasta dish three times, so I think I can safely say, I found another. This isn’t your typical meat sauce and noodle recipe, the flavor surprises me each time we make it and the kids have even asked for seconds. Try it out, save yourself a hectic evening and enjoy this one ;)
Crockpot Beef and Cheese Pasta via The Cooking Jar:
INGREDIENTS:
2 lb. lean ground beef
1 yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
15 oz. marinara sauce
15 oz. stewed tomatoes
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Red pepper flakes to taste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
10 oz. frozen spinach, cooked
1 lb. penne/rigatoni/bow tie pasta, cooked al dente
½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1½ cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded
DIRECTIONS:
Over medium high heat, brown the beef until cooked. Drain any fat
Remove beef and saute onions and garlic until onions are translucent
Transfer onions and beef to a slow cooker and pour in marinara sauce, tomatoes, seasonings, sugar and crumbled beef bouillon cubes
Stir to mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste
Cook for 6-8 hours on low
Cook the pasta till al dente, according to package instructions. Drain well and add cooked pasta, Parmesan and Mozzarella to the meat sauce and stir to combine
Cook on high for 30 minutes
Mix in cooked or raw spinach leaves and stir well
Dish and serve hot
