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Quick Cheesy Ground Beef Crockpot Pasta: Easy 30-Minute Dinner

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A quick and easy weeknight dinner featuring ground beef, pasta, and a creamy, cheesy tomato sauce, all made in a crockpot with minimal hands-on time.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup beef broth (low-sodium if desired)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces dried pasta (rotini or penne recommended)
  • 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup cream cheese, softened
  • Fresh parsley or basil, chopped (for garnish, optional)
  • Extra Parmesan for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and break it up. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes to brown, then stir. Add diced onion and cook 4-5 minutes until translucent and beef is fully browned. Stir in minced garlic for the last 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. If there is excess fat, spoon most of it out, leaving about 1 tablespoon for flavor.
  3. Transfer beef mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, beef broth, oregano, basil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until tomato paste is fully incorporated.
  4. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4 hours to meld flavors.
  5. About 20 minutes before serving, cook pasta in salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente (about 1 minute less than package says). Drain well, do not rinse.
  6. While pasta cooks, add cream cheese to slow cooker and stir until melted. Add mozzarella, cheddar, and Parmesan. Stir gently until fully melted and sauce is creamy (2-3 minutes).
  7. Add drained pasta to slow cooker and stir gently to coat. Let sit 2-3 minutes for pasta to absorb sauce. Adjust seasoning if needed.
  8. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley or basil and extra Parmesan if desired.

Notes

Do not add pasta too early to avoid mushiness. Cook pasta al dente as it will continue cooking in the hot sauce. For best results, use full-fat cheeses for smooth melting. If sauce is too thick, add a splash of warm broth; if too thin, cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes.

Nutrition

Keywords: crockpot pasta, ground beef pasta, cheesy pasta, easy weeknight dinner, slow cooker pasta, quick dinner

Find it online: https://flurpchef.com/quick-cheesy-ground-beef-crockpot-pasta-easy-30-minute-dinner/