Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 24 ounces pasta sauce
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef until fully cooked; drain excess fat.
- Transfer the cooked beef to the crockpot.
- Add pasta sauce and crushed tomatoes on top of the beef.
- Sprinkle in Italian seasoning, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Add the bay leaf.
- Stir everything together until well combined.
- Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 6–8 hours (or on high for 3–4 hours) until the sauce is rich and well blended.
- Serve warm over freshly cooked spaghetti or use in your favorite pasta bake.
Notes
- Add diced onion or minced garlic when browning the beef for extra flavor.
- Stir in sliced mushrooms or diced bell peppers for a chunkier sauce.
- Reduce or omit cayenne pepper for a milder sauce.
- For thicker sauce, cook with the lid off for the last 20–30 minutes.
- Freeze leftovers in portion sizes for easy future meals.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 6–8 hours on low (3–4 hours on high)
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Italian‑American
- Diet: Halal
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
