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Slow Cooker Meatballs

slow cooker Italian meatballs.

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5 from 5 reviews

These slow cooker meatballs don’t need any pre-cooking – just mix, roll, and drop them in the slow cooker with the sauce. These soft and juicy meatballs are freezer-friendly and great for sub sandwiches or served with pasta.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Tomato Sauce

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 (32-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

For the Meatballs

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup store-bought plain breadcrumbs
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage

Instructions

  1. In a 6-quart slow cooker, combine the olive oil, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, onion, garlic, salt and red pepper flakes.
  2. In a large bowl combine the eggs, breadcrumbs, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, and oregano. Add the ground beef and sausage and, using your hands, mix it all together just until combined. Scoop approximately one ounce of the mixture to form each ball. Place the meatballs in an even layer in the sauce. Spoon some sauce over the meatballs so they are covered, place the lid on the slow cooker and set it to cook on high for four hours. Serve on rolls or with pasta.

Notes

Storage: Leftover meatballs and sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Or, store them in a freezer container, and they will freeze well for several months.

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