‘Spag Bol’ is a staple in our household. I try to vary up our weekday meals as much as I can, but Slow Cooker Bolognese seems to feature more frequently than most.
How Do You Make Spaghetti Bolognese In A Slow Cooker?
Making Bolognese in a slow cooker is really easy. You can either put it all in raw, or brown the mince off first. I talk about this more further down. I personally like to brown my mince before putting in the slow cooker for Bolognese, but it’s not mandatory 😉
I then add all the ingredients to the slow cooker; 750g mince (you can use 500g, it’ll taste as good and easily serve 4 people still), 1 onion, 1 red pepper, 3 cloves garlic, 3 bay leaves, 1 carton passata, 1 can chopped tomatoes, 3 tbsp. tomato puree, 1tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1tsp dried mixed herbs and 1 beef stock cube.
I love adding in Worcestershire sauce to my meals!
How Long Does Spaghetti Bolognese Take To Cook In A Slow Cooker?
I prefer to cook Bolognese on low in the slow cooker – it helps the meat turn really tender and full of flavour. I have been known to leave my Bolognese on low for as long as 10 hours, at a minimum I would leave it on low for 7 hours. If time isn’t on your side you can cook it on high in 4 to 5 hours.
Suggested Extras
You can add any extras you wish to a slow cooker Bolognese. Here are some suggestions;
- red wine (about 100ml)
- celery
- carrots
- chilli
- bacon
Serve With
Aside from cooked spaghetti, it also tastes great with your favourite cheese grated on top. Oh and some garlic dough balls or garlic bread are also welcome!
Can You Put Raw Mince In A Slow Cooker?
Yes you can. You can put any raw meat in a slow cooker and it will cook just fine. But some recipes just taste better when the meat has been seared beforehand – but really it’s a matter of personal taste – and time! I tend to brown the mince (with the onions) in a pan before putting it in the slow cooker. Not only does it release some more flavour, it also allows me to skim off any excess fat. If you are short on time though you can just chuck it all in the slow cooker and it’ll still taste delicious.
Of course if you have one of those wonderful Morphy Richards Sear and Stew slow cookers you may as well go ahead and brown off that meat!
Can’t I Just Make It On The Hob?
Although this meal can be cooked in a pan on the hob, it has a much fuller flavour when it has been slow cooking all day long. Plus, nothing quite beats walking through the door at the end of the day to the smell of dinner waiting. Slow cooked meat is much softer and the juices are slowly released into the Bolognese sauce.
You can also make it in an electric pressure cooker. Check out my Instant Pot Spaghetti Bolognese recipe.
Let me know in the comments if you make this recipe – what extras do you add?
A comforting and delicious slow cooker spaghetti Bolognese. It's a regular in our house! Serve with cooked spaghetti, grated cheese and garlic bread/dough balls!
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 509Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 43g
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I use red onions as it gives it that little.sweet flavour that the kids seem. To forget there’s all that veg in there and always want another plate lol so win win in my house…..
Great idea Michelle – I agree, anything that tempts the kids to eat more veg is a winner!
It’s not just the kids that need to eat more veg… It’s a great way for anyone to add in more veg and ‘bulk up’ the bolognese – I’ve often added in peel diced courgettes – I think the Americans call them zucchini and also leeks – and if there’s a few tomatoes lying around, about to go soft, they’re chucked in too.