slow cooker meatballs

prep: 40 MINUTES | cook: 6 HOURS ON HIGH OR 3 HOURS ON LOW total: 3½ TO 7 HOURS | SERVES 8 TO 10

My boys love this dinner because it means they can stuff their bellies full of meatballs, and Josh loves the recipe because it means simply tossing a bunch of ingredients in the slow cooker and letting it do all the work. Cooking meatballs in the flavorful marinara means they stay nice and juicy, while the sauce takes on their meaty flavor—which is so good thanks to Josh’s trick of blending ground beef with Italian sausage. Everything gets heaped over spaghetti, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash and covered with grated Parm, then served up with a side of Caprese Garlic Bread (here). But the best part is seeing the boys’ faces after dinner—always big marinara smiles thanks to all the noodle slurping.

MEATBALLS

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings

1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 large eggs, beaten

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

SAUCE

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 carrot, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 (28-ounce) cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 dried bay leaves

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

FOR SERVING

Cooked spaghetti, zucchini noodles, or spaghetti squash

Grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh basil, if desired

1 Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the beef, sausage meat, bread crumbs, Parmesan, eggs, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Form the mixture into balls, about 2 tablespoons per meatball. (A small ice cream scooper works well here.)

2 Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the meatballs in a single layer. You don’t want to crowd the pan or the meatballs won’t brown, so you may need to work in batches. Brown the meatballs on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer the meatballs to a paper towel–lined plate and repeat with the remaining meatballs.

3 Make the sauce: Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker (or see Note) and stir to combine. Add the meatballs, stirring gently to coat with the sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.

4 To serve, place cooked noodles in a dish or bowl, top with marinara sauce and meatballs, and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and basil, if desired. Serve hot.

NOTES: Instead of the slow cooker, you could simmer the sauce and meatballs in a large pot on the stove. But the sauce is so much better with a slow cooker because of how long it simmers. The recipe makes a lot of meatballs, so it’s a great one for sharing with friends and family. It also freezes nicely—just let the meatballs cool completely in the sauce and transfer everything to a freezer-safe container to freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost, reheat, and serve!