Need a game day appetizer? Here’s a super simple meatball recipe you can make ahead and keep warm in the slow cooker!
Our family loves quick and easy foods like homemade meatballs — and yes, homemade meatballs are a lot better than frozen!
These are an awesome appetizer, the perfect addition to a bed of pasta, or a great main dish with a side of potatoes and veggies.
They are easy to make ahead, easy to freeze, and the leftovers taste amazing!
Ingredients for Slow Cooker Meatballs
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
- 1 egg (I used egg whites since we were out of eggs!)
- 1 jar spaghetti sauce of your choice
How to Make Slow Cooker Meatballs
1. In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs and egg.
2. Shape beef mixture into 12 large meatballs (or several mini meatballs.)
3. Arrange meatballs in the bottom of a large slow cooker.
4. Pour sauce over meatballs.
5. Cook covered on low for 8 to 10 hours OR high for 4 to 6 hours.
6. Serve with toothpicks as an appetizer (or serve in over noodles and sprinkle with cheese).
Slow Cooker Meatballs
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs (use the seasoned variety)
- 1 egg
- 1 32 oz jar spaghetti sauce
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs and egg.
- Shape beef mixture into 12 large meatballs (or several mini meatballs.)
- Arrange meatballs in the bottom of a large slow cooker.
- Pour sauce over meatballs.
- Cook covered on low for 8 to 10 hours OR high for 4 to 6 hours.
- Serve with toothpicks as an appetizer (or serve in over noodles and sprinkle with cheese).
Nutrition
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What are your favorite quick and easy appetizers?
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I actually really love to make meatballs & veggies for dinner. I typically like to do steamed broccoli, sautéed onions & mushrooms, and eggplant with them. =]
Can you use frozen store bought ones?
Yes, you can. Just let them thaw ahead of time, but they don’t have to be completely thawed, especially if they are precooked.
My favorite company meals for Sunday lunch after church always involve meatballs in the crock pot. I do Swedish meatballs (serve over noodles), BBQ meatballs (serve with shredded cheese on a sub roll), or with Ragu sauce (also with cheese on a roll).
Im embarrassed to say that I have never made homemade meatballs before because I swear that they were really difficult to make but your recipe looks totally do able! Im going to have to give this a try!
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Looks delicious! I’ve never cooked meatballs in the crockpot (only added cooked ones). I want to give this a try. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Wow, never thought to put meatballs in the slow cooker. Great idea 🙂
Oh yum! Meatballs are one of my kids favorite dishes! We usually make ours with quick oats, or gluten-free flour for our gluten-free ones. 🙂
But I have to admit that I’ve never even tried Ragú sauce. Looks yummy!