Description
This Crockpot Bolognese is a hearty and flavorful slow-cooked Italian meat sauce that’s perfect for a comforting dinner. Using a combination of ground beef, diced tomatoes, and aromatic vegetables, this recipe simmered low and slow in a crockpot develops rich, deep flavors with minimal hands-on time. It’s ideal served over pasta and garnished with your favorite cheese for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 1 large carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 small onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (4-5 cloves)
Meat
- 1 pound ground beef
Canned Goods and Sauces
- 2 14.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1 14.5 ounce can tomato sauce
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef: In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned and fully cooked through. Drain any excess fat and transfer the cooked beef to the crockpot.
- Prepare the vegetables: Peel the carrot and onion. Add the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic (if not already minced) to a food processor and pulse for about 10-15 seconds until finely minced.
- Combine ingredients in crockpot: Add the minced vegetables to the crockpot with the cooked ground beef. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add oregano, basil, sugar, salt, and bay leaves. Stir everything together to combine thoroughly.
- Cook the sauce: Cover the crockpot and cook on low heat for 4 to 6 hours to allow the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken.
- Finish and serve: Remove the bay leaves before serving. Serve the Bolognese sauce over your favorite cooked pasta and garnish with your preferred cheese, such as Parmesan.
Notes
- Be sure to brown and drain the ground beef to remove excess fat and enhance flavor.
- The slow cooking time allows the flavors to deepen; do not rush the process.
- You can prepare the minced vegetables ahead of time to save prep time.
- Adjust seasoning with salt and sugar at the end to taste if necessary.
- Pairs well with a variety of pasta types such as spaghetti, fettuccine, or penne.
