Crock Pot Million Dollar Spaghetti Recipe
Crock Pot Million Dollar Spaghetti is a hearty and cheesy slow-cooked pasta dish featuring Italian sausage, creamy cheeses, and marinara sauce. This comforting casserole combines layers of broken spaghetti noodles, savory sausage, and a rich cream cheese mixture, all slow-cooked to perfection and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. It’s an easy, hands-off recipe perfect for busy days when you want a delicious homemade meal waiting for you.
- Author: Windy
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Meat
- 1 lb Italian sausage meat, casings removed
Sauces and Dairy
- 48 oz marinara sauce
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Pasta
Liquids
- 1 1/2 cups water (divided: 1/2 cup and 1 cup)
Seasonings and Garnish
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- Cook the sausage: Dump the Italian sausage meat into a skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage well as it cooks until browned and cooked through. Set aside.
- Prepare the base layer: Pour half of the marinara sauce and 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of your Crock Pot, spreading it evenly.
- Add the first layer of noodles: Take half of the uncooked spaghetti noodles, break them in half, and place them evenly over the sauce in the Crock Pot.
- Layer the sausage: Spoon the cooked sausage evenly over the broken noodles.
- Mix the creamy topping: In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sour cream, and Italian seasoning. Stir well until smooth and fully combined.
- Add the cream cheese mixture: Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the sausage in the Crock Pot, then gently spread it out as evenly as possible using the back of the spoon.
- Add the second noodle layer: Break the remaining spaghetti noodles in half and spread them evenly over the cream cheese layer.
- Add remaining sauce and water: Pour the remaining marinara sauce and 1 cup of water evenly over the noodles.
- Cook: Place the lid on the Crock Pot and cook on LOW for 2.5 hours.
- Add cheese: After cooking, remove the lid and sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly on top of the spaghetti.
- Melt cheese: Replace the lid and continue cooking on LOW for an additional 30 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle chopped parsley on top for garnish if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- Breaking the spaghetti noodles in half helps them fit better in the Crock Pot and cook evenly.
- Be sure to crumble the sausage thoroughly and cook it completely before adding to the slow cooker to ensure it’s safe to eat.
- If you prefer, you can substitute the Italian sausage with ground beef or turkey for a different flavor.
- For a spicier dish, use spicy Italian sausage or add red pepper flakes to the cream cheese mixture.
- If the dish is too thick after cooking, you can stir in a little extra water or marinara sauce to loosen it up.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated thoroughly before serving.
Keywords: Crock Pot, Slow Cooker, Million Dollar Spaghetti, Italian Sausage Pasta, Creamy Spaghetti, Easy Dinner, Comfort Food