Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Meatballs

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to post a tomato based Italian dish like this. I practically grew up on the stuff! About once a week was Spaghetti and Meat Sauce Night when my mom would make her famous turkey Bolognese with some buttery garlic-herb spaghetti. My God, it was by far one of my favorite meals of hers!

Needless to say, to this day we still frequently go to town on some form of marinara based pasta dish, whether it be something like baked ziti or stuffed shells, it’s always our go-to meal. Three things that’s always kept consistent when I make these dishes are that they must be made with homemade marinara sauce and include Italian sausage and Asiago cheese.

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Meatballs

Following with that theme, these slow-cooker meatballs are super easy to throw together and are made with all the ingredients I usually use in my homemade marinara sauce. Of course I had to throw some Asiago cheese in the meatball batter to give it a bit of a sharp flavor that counterbalances the sweet sausage. Then, I love to pair it with homemade fettuccine noodles tossed in garlic-herb butter.

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Meatballs

The only thing is wish is that I had a larger slow cooker so that I could have made twice as much! This is definitely a dish that saves well and tastes even better the next day!

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Meatballs
Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Meatballs
Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Meatballs
Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Meatballs
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Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Meatballs
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Italian sausage
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup asiago or parmesan cheese
  • 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1 15oz. can low sodium tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  • Combine tomato sauce, parsley, onions, garlic and tomatoes in slow cooker. Season with sugar and salt/pepper to taste.
  • In a bowl, mix Italian sausage, egg, breadcrumbs, cheese and Italian seasoning until well combined. Form meatballs and add them to slow cooker sauce.
  • Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 4-6 hours.
  • Serve with your favorite pasta!
  • Details
    Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 4 servings
    Skill Level: Easy

    Notes:

    • For less chunky sauce, use 1/2 tomato, diced a 1/4 cup of onion.

    • Fat from sausage may settle on top while cooking. Skim periodically.

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