Description
This hearty 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Beef and Sausage Pasta is a perfect blend of ground beef, pork sausage, spaghetti sauce, Alfredo sauce, and elbow macaroni. It’s an easy, comforting meal that requires minimal prep and lets the slow cooker do all the work, resulting in tender noodles and savory meat in a creamy tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork sausage
Sauces
- 45 ounces spaghetti sauce (Ragu recommended)
- 15 ounces Alfredo sauce
Pasta
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni noodles
Instructions
- Prepare the meat: Add the raw ground beef and ground pork sausage to the slow cooker. Break up the meat slightly with a spoon to help it cook evenly.
- Add sauces: Pour the spaghetti sauce and Alfredo sauce over the meat in the slow cooker. Stir gently to coat the meat mixture thoroughly with the sauces.
- Cook meat mixture: Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or on high for 4 hours, allowing the flavors to meld and the meat to become tender.
- Break up cooked meat: After 7 hours on low (or 4 hours on high), use a wooden spoon to break up the meat mixture further to prepare for the addition of noodles.
- Add pasta: Stir in the elbow macaroni noodles until they are fully submerged and coated in the sauce.
- Finish cooking: Replace the slow cooker lid and cook on low for an additional 30-45 minutes or on high for 15-30 minutes, or until the noodles are tender.
- Serve: Stir the dish well, ensure everything is combined, then serve hot.
Notes
- You can use less than 2 pounds of beef if preferred.
- Frozen meat can be added directly to the slow cooker; just cook for the full 7 hours and break up the meat before adding noodles.
- If home, you may break up the meat 3 hours into cooking to promote even cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximate, based on 6 servings)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 850mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
