Description
Slow Cooker Million Dollar Pasta is a hearty and creamy pasta dish loaded with ground beef, three types of cheese, and rich marinara sauce. Cooked slowly in a crockpot, it results in perfectly tender bowtie pasta soaked in flavorful layers of cheese and meat, making it an ideal comforting main course for family dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
Cheeses and Dairy
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup ricotta
- 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Other Ingredients
- 2 (24 oz) jars marinara sauce, divided
- 1 (24 oz) jar water (use empty marinara jar to measure)
- 1 (16 oz) box bowtie pasta (uncooked)
Instructions
- Cook the Beef: Place ground beef in a large skillet, season with salt and pepper, crumble, and cook over medium heat until fully browned. Drain grease and set aside.
- Prepare Cheese Mixture: In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Mix until smooth and set aside.
- Layer Sauce and Pasta: Pour half a jar of marinara sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread evenly to the edges. Sprinkle half of the uncooked bowtie pasta on top of the sauce.
- Add More Sauce and Water: Pour the remaining half jar of marinara sauce over the pasta. Fill the empty sauce jar with water and pour half of it over the entire slow cooker contents.
- Layer Beef and Cheese Mixture: Sprinkle half of the cooked ground beef over the pasta and sauce layers, then spoon all of the cheese mixture evenly on top.
- Add Remaining Pasta and Sauce: Layer the rest of the uncooked pasta on top of the cheese mixture. Pour the second full jar of marinara sauce over the pasta layer.
- Finish Layering: Gently pour the remaining half jar of water over everything, then top it with the remaining ground beef.
- Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Check if the pasta is fully cooked; if not, cook an additional 30 minutes.
- Melt Cheese: Once pasta is tender, sprinkle shredded mozzarella evenly over the top. Cover again and cook until the cheese melts, about 20 minutes.
- Serve: Scoop portions from slow cooker, making sure to get all the layered ingredients in each serving. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- Using the empty marinara jar as a measuring cup ensures accurate water quantity for cooking pasta evenly.
- If you prefer, you can substitute lean ground turkey or chicken for ground beef to lighten the dish.
- For a spicier flavor, add crushed red pepper flakes to the cheese mixture or marinara sauce.
- Make sure to stir pasta gently as you layer to avoid clumping and ensure even cooking.
- Feel free to add chopped vegetables like bell peppers or mushrooms to the beef while browning for extra nutrients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 980 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
