Linda’s Old Fashioned Spaghetti (Crock Pot)
Linda’s Old Fashioned Spaghetti is my mother in law’s signature dish and one we always look forward to whenever we visit them in Georgia. A meaty spaghetti with a sauce that is definitely a step up from your typical store bought canned sauce and far more flavorful than what most folks are used to. Linda usually makes it on the stovetop, setting aside hours for it to simmer and cook down. Last time we visited she mentioned that she would like to have a slow cooker version so that she could put it in the crock pot in the morning and not have to fuss over it throughout the day.
Well all she had to do was tell me she wanted it! I came home and immediately set out to adapt the recipe for the slow cooker. Now we can all have this bold and flavorful meat sauce spaghetti just by tossing in the ingredients and walking away.
One of my favorite features of a slow cooker is that it’s the closest I’ll ever come to having kitchen staff 🙂
When you’re done reading this, make sure you hop over to my daily video by clicking here. I’ve started a new video series all about food blogging and in my latest video I answer the question “When did you start blogging and what prompted you to blog?”
 You’ll need: Browned ground beef, Garlic powder, a jar of mushrooms, tomato paste, basil, rosemary, a pinch of cayenne pepper (it isn’t spicy, I promise!), bay leaves, and salt. Oh and some water. I’m gonna assume you have that. Isn’t it nice to have water readily available? Lots of folks don’t.
Brown your meat and drain the grease. Place in 5-6 quart slow cooker. Add in Basil, Rosemary, Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper, Cayenne (just a tiny pinch, don’t freak out!), tomato paste, and water. Stir that up real good. Hint:Â This is easier to mix if you use hot water.
Drain mushrooms and gently stir those in.
Add Bay leaves and don’t stir (because they will break up), just spoon some sauce over them. Fish those out later, before serving.
Eat it up!
Ingredients
- 2 -3 pounds lean ground beef or ground chuck
- 1 large can tomato paste 12 oz.
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 ½ Tbs. Basil
- 1 ½ Tbs. Rosemary
- heaping teaspoon garlic powder
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- Pinch red cayenne pepper
- 1 jar of sliced mushrooms 6 oz.
- 3 Bay leaves remove after cooking
Instructions
- In large skillet, cook ground beef until browned and fully cooked, drain and place in slow cooker.
- Brown your meat and drain the grease. Place in 5-6 quart slow cooker. Add in Basil, Rosemary, Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper, Cayenne, tomato paste, and water. Stir that up real good.
- Drain mushrooms and gently stir those in.
- Add Bay leaves and don't stir (because they will break up), just spoon some sauce over them.
- Cover and cook on low, 7-9 hours, or high, 3-4 hours. Before serving, remove bay leaves. Serve over fresh cooked noodles.
Nutrition
” I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life.”
~Deut 30:18
Somebody commented about a watery substance on the plate of pasta after the sauce has been added. Christy suggested letting the pasta drain a little longer in the colander. Good idea. Also, you might try putting the well drained pasta back in the pot it was cooked in and stir it around for a couple of minutes over medium heat to dry it a little more. I will sometimes add just a small amount of the sauce to coat the pasta really well while it’s drying.
Great ideas Glen!!
Christy,
Thank you for this recipe! My family loves to come home from church to the great taste and smell of a home cooked meal. Your crock pot recipes are wonderful and have blessed my family.
Thank you Kate, I am so glad you and your family are enjoying some of the recipes!!
Hi Linda, Love you! Gonna try this and I know it will be great!
Loved the Pizza Rolls. Will make them again and try freezing them!
After reading Kathy K. comment I realize that I missed something o.0 Anyways just wanted to add that for us mushroom lovers, don’t bother to drain the mushrooms. Just add the water to the pot and reduce the water by 1/3 cup.
I think this sounds good, and I also thought that the “Pizza Rolls” sounded really good, too. I even waded back through the comments to find the infamous “Anonymous” post, and I’ve been waiting for my opportunity to say something since, although the people that really need to see this, like “Anonymous” never will, since they are hit-and-run trolls.
And before anyone even mentions cholesterol, etc., for this recipe, I’d like to point out that the Food Police are not going to arrive at your house and haul you off in their Black Mariah if you try to substitute ground turkey, TVP, tofu, or whatever, in this, or any other recipe on the planet. You all know what you can and can’t eat, what you should and shouldn’t eat, and how to eat in moderation or save a recipe for a special occasion.
If you want to make substitutions to make something healthier, do it and don’t bust Christy’s chops, or ours, about it. Just do it quietly. Christy has always made it very clear that you can use Splenda instead of sugar, etc. You will be happier and the recipe will turn out more to your satisfaction. The rest of us will be happier as well. You can always report that the recipe turned out well with these changes, or that it didn’t.
If you can, just leave that offending item out of the recipe. This will not always be possible, so there will be some recipes that you will not be able to make. I have saved Christy’s recipe for “Featherlight Chocolate Biscuits” because I can use butterscotch chips in place of the chocolate chips. I could also use raisins, or dried cherries, and lots of other things instead, or do them plain. I’m only limited by my imagination. I can’t do this for a chocolate meringue pie recipe, however, so I have to skip that recipe because I can’t have chocolate.
Most all of you have the experience and creativity to do this, so do it and don’t hassle Christy. She’s an exceptionally nice person and shouldn’t have to deal with that. Now, off my soapbox. 8)
Where is the like button here???
Wow! That was great! You did a wonderful job expressing what many of us feel. This makes me smile! Thanks Kathy!
Excellent comment! I wish more people had your common sense. There is no excuse to be rude or nasty over a recipe. Either tweak it to your taste or don’t make it. Easy solution! I just appreciate that Christy shares her recipes!
Kathy, can I just tell you that I love you? 😀 And thank you, sincerely. Your kindness and “soapbox” of support truly could not have come at a better time.
All of you, thank you so much 🙂 This felt like a big old group hug!
Gratefully,
C J
Christy: Yes, you certainly may tell me that you love me! I’m so very glad that I kept my powder dry and waited overnight to say something, if it came at a better time for you. I guess it is pretty much a group hug. 8) I was happy to do it, and consider you a blessing in my life. I love reading your blog, and I forgot to mention, while I was up on my soapbox, that I loved the Bible verse, and especially the picture. Keep well.
I have fresh basil and rosemary what are the measurements for that?
Personally, I would double the quantities given for dried herbs if I were using fresh.
I love reading all of Christy’s post and like you don’t understand why people have to try to “hassle” her about things. If each person would use common sense, adapt the recipes to fit their needs, or better yet get their own webpage if they want things done or said a certain way!
This is our family recipie for spaghetti sauce. It makes enough for a family, leftovers (yum) and for the freezer.
2 lbs bob Evans Italian sausage, browned with onion/drained
3 jars spaghetti sauce (I use aldis)
1-2 cup parmasean cheese
1/4 cup sugar
Onion and about 5 cloves of fresh garlic minced. The flavor me.lows deliciously as it cooks in sauce.
You can add fresh mushrooms if you would like, I usually do. Mix well.. Add sauce if a thinner sauce is what you would like.
Place In crockpot on low for 8 hours or so.
Serve with salad and garlic bread