SLOW COOKER SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE

A no hassle mid week dinner that’s made even easier in the slow cooker

Slow cooker spaghetti bolognese is so much easier and less hassle than cooking on the hob. Making a double batch is super handy as you’ll have one meal for plus one for the freezer. The prep is even faster if you use a food processor to chop the vegetables and garlic. 

I serve mine with wholewheat spaghetti and plenty of freshly grated parmesan.

Why you should make this

• Quick and easy to prepare
• You can make a big batch and put some in the freezer
• It’s a crowd pleaser
• A healthy balanced meal with extra veggies added to the sauce

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese – Variations

• Replace half the meat with tinned lentils to increase the fibre and lower the calorie content
• Replace all the meat with lentils to have a vegetarian dish
• Serve with spiralised courgette for a keto friendly meal
• If you don’t have a slow cooker, you can make this recipe on the hob. Follow the recipe below adding 1 can of water with the rest of the ingredients. Put a lid on your pan, leaving it slightly ajar, and simmer gently for 1.5 hours.
  

Ingredients needed

• Minced beef/pork – I like to use mince with at least 7% fat content
• Brown onions
• Carrots
• Celery
• Garlic – you can use fresh or powder/granules
• Italian herbs – sometime I just use dried oregano but I quite like the Italian dried herb mixes too
• Chopped tomatoes – tinned are best
• Beef stock pot/cube – the stock pot can go straight in but the cube will need to be dissolved a small amount of boiling water
• Sugar/bay leaf/red wine – these are all optional but you’ll get a next level bolognese sauce if you include them

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese – Step by Step

You may want to brown all or half of the meat in a large hot frying pan first. This adds extra flavour to the dish but is an optional step and not absolutely necessary. This will take around 10 to 15 mins. Don’t stir the meat too much as you want some crispy brown bits to form.

Add the celery, onion, carrot and garlic to a food processor and blitz till chopped finely. Alternatively chop finely by hand.

Place the finely chopped veg and garlic into the slow cooker with all the other ingredients plus 1/2 tsp of salt and a good grind of pepper. Stir well.

Turn the slow cooker onto high and cook for 6 hours. If there is too much liquid, take the lid off for the final half hour of cooking.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary – it may need more salt and pepper and a little sugar. Remove the bay leaf and discard. 
Serve and enjoy with spaghetti and plenty of grated parmesan. Freeze anything that’s left over for a quick and easy dinner another time. You can defrost straight from the freezer and heat well in a saucepan with a lid or in a microwave.

For another delicious pasta dish, try my easy pesto chicken pasta.