Cheesy Crockpot Meatball Pasta
Cheesy Crockpot Meatball Pasta is an easy and delicious slow cooker recipe the whole family will love. This recipe takes minimal prep work and most of the cooking takes place in the background as you go about your day.
If you have picky kids, a busy schedule, or just want a break from standing in the kitchen this recipe is perfect for you.
Familiar hearty comfort food with the ease of Crockpot cooking make this one a no brainier. It’s made with simple ingredients like frozen meatballs, thick and chunky marinara, melty mozzarella, and touch of heavy cream.
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If you’re craving meatballs or just need another simple and delicious slow cooker recipe to feed the family, my Crockpot Swedish Meatballs are sure to be a big hit.
These go viral every time I post them and for good reason, they’re an easy crowd pleaser that the whole family will love!
If you are looking for a similar recipe, but not wanting to use meatballs check out my viral Crockpot Creamy Chicken Pasta! It’s made with seasoned chicken breasts, marinara, Alfredo sauce, pasta, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
- Frozen meatballs
- Marinara sauce
- Garlic powder, onion powder, Italian powder, red pepper flakes
- Pasta
- Heavy cream
- Mozzarella cheeseÂ
- ParsleyÂ
- Parmesan cheeseÂ
Let’s Talk Meatballs
Frozen meatballs are essential to many of my family’s favorite recipes, but my wife and kids are not a fan of any store bought meatballs that we’ve tried.
You’re of course welcome to use your favorite brand of frozen meatballs, but the frozen ones used in this recipe are homemade.
Meatballs are really simple to make at home and freeze for easy dinners like this one. Every couple of months we do a family meatball day using my wife’s homemade meatball recipe.
It’s just a combination of simple ingredients like ground beef, breakfast sausage, bread crumbs, egg, and seasonings folded together, rolled into balls, and baked to perfection. Check out my full homemade meatball recipe here.
The kids have a lot of fun with this and it’s minimal work with a maximum payout that we’re grateful for every time we pull a pack from the freezer!
Make Cheesy Crockpot Meatball Pasta
To make the crockpot meatball pasta, add your frozen meatballs to a crockpot.
Top them with 2 jars of marinara sauce or your favorite pasta sauce. I’ve really been liking the Marinara sauce from Aldi.
Season the meatballs and sauce with some garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
Stir everything together well and cook on low for 4-6 hours.Â
Next, cook 16 oz of pasta following the directions on the box. I like using Cellentani Pasta, but any pasta shape will work for this recipe.
Add the cooked pasta and 1/2 cup of heavy cream to the crockpot. The heavy cream adds a little bit of richness to the dish.
If you don’t want to add heavy cream you could add one 15 oz jar of Alfredo sauce to this recipe instead. The combo of marinara and Alfredo sauce works really well.
Stir well and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.
Let the pasta and meatballs sit in the crockpot covered until the cheese is melted.
Serve Cheesy Crockpot Meatball Pasta
Once the cheese is nice and melted, it’s time to eat! Top the pasta with some dried parsley and Parmesan cheese before serving.
I served this dinner with some bread sticks from the freezer section and a Caesar Salad!
This type of recipe is the ultimate comfort food! You’ll love this recipe because it’s so easy, delicious, and makes a lot of food!
Leftovers reheat well for lunch or dinner the next day. Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
- Any bag of frozen meatballs would work in this recipe. I prefer to use my homemade meatball recipe and keep the meatballs in the freezer for easy recipes like this one.
- I used 16 oz Cellentani Pasta, but any pasta shape will work for this recipe.
- The heavy cream adds a little bit of richness to the recipe. If you don’t want to use it you can omit it or add a 15 oz jar of Alfredo sauce instead.
- If you don’t want to make this in a crockpot it could easily be cooked on the stove using a couple of pots instead.
- I shred mozzarella cheese from a block of cheese for a better melting consistency.
Similar Recipes
- Crockpot Swedish Meatballs
- Easy Homemade Meatball Recipe
- Easy Meatball Stroganoff
- Crockpot Creamy Chicken Pasta
- Garlic Bread Meatball Subs
If you make this recipe I hope you enjoy it! Leave me a comment below or pin this recipe to your Pinterest Account to save it for later.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs frozen meatballs
- 2 (24 oz) jars marinara or pasta sauce
- 1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 16 oz box of pasta I used Cellentani Pasta
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- Parsley
- Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Add your frozen meatballs, 2 jars of marinara sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to a crockpot. Stir and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
- Cook 16 oz of pasta following the directions on the box. Add the cooked pasta and 1/2 cup of heavy cream to the crockpot. Stir well and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Let sit until the cheese is melted and top it with parsley and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- Any bag of frozen meatballs would work in this recipe. I prefer to use my homemade meatball recipe and keep the meatballs in the freezer for easy recipes like this one.
- I used 16 oz Cellentani Pasta, but any pasta shape will work for this recipe.
- The heavy cream adds a little bit of richness to the recipe. If you don’t want to use it you can omit it or add a 15 oz jar of Alfredo sauce instead.
- If you don’t want to make this in a crockpot it could easily be cooked on the stove using a couple of pots instead.
- I shred mozzarella cheese from a block of cheese for a better melting consistency.