Giant Slow Cooker Meatballs

It’s been a while since I have made meatballs. #sorrynotsorry, I made these giant slow cooker meatballs this weekend. They are a great way to spice up your basic spaghetti and meat sauce meal. The meatballs are large enough to simmer in the marinara and allow the flavors of each ingredient to seep into the other. This creates a rich sauce that is perfect for spaghetti. The aroma these meatballs make in your home as they cook almost enough to make you want them!

This dish is great for meal prepping for the week. You can make the pasta, sauce, and meatballs quickly and easily and reheat as you wish. For each day, add a simple side dish (in a separate container). It’s done!

GIANT SLOW COOKER MEATBALLS

These Giant Slow Cooker Meatballs can be made in just a few minutes.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb. Ground beef (85/15), ($2.65)
1/2 lb. 1/2 lb. Italian sausage (mild sweet, or hot) ($1.16)
1 large egg, lightly beaten ($0.26)
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs ($0.12)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.44)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder ($0.02)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder ($0.02)
1/4 tsp salt ($0.01)
1 26oz. Jar marinara sauce ($2.19)
12 oz. spaghetti ($1.13)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, Italian sausages, egg, breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Mix the ingredients with your hands until well combined. Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts and form each ball.
Place the meatballs into a slow cooker. Pour the marinara on top. Make sure you coat each meatball with the marinara. It will only cover about half of the meatballs with the sauce, but that is okay. Even though the meatballs are not fully submerged, the steam from your slow cooker will heat them.
Cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook for 3 to 6 hours on high or low for 6-7. You can check the internal temperature of the meatballs with an instant-read thermometer (mine exceeded 160oF after 3 hours on high).
Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Drain in a colander.
The slow cooker should be turned off. Once the meatballs have been removed, add the cooked, drained spaghetti to the pot and stir to coat with the sauce. Split the sauced spaghetti among four plates. Add one large meat ball to each plate.