Slow Cooker Church Supper Spaghetti

Slow Cooker Church Supper Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef (or Italian sausage)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (24 oz) jars pasta sauce (your favorite)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (optional, for extra texture)
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp sugar (to balance acidity)
• 1 lb spaghetti noodles (broken in half)
• 4 cups beef broth or water
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
• Fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

1. Brown the meat:
   In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef (or Italian sausage) until browned. Drain excess grease if needed.

2. Sauté onion and garlic:
   Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the skillet and cook until softened (about 3-4 minutes).

3. Combine in the slow cooker:
   Transfer the meat mixture to your slow cooker. Add the pasta sauce, diced tomatoes (if using), Italian seasoning, and sugar. Stir everything together.

4. Cook:
   Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally if you can.

5. Add pasta:
   About 30-40 minutes before serving, stir in the broken spaghetti noodles and 4 cups of beef broth (or water). Make sure the noodles are submerged.
   Cover and continue cooking on HIGH, stirring once or twice so the noodles don't clump together, until pasta is tender (about 30-40 minutes).

6. Serve:
   Stir the spaghetti well, top with grated Parmesan and parsley if desired, and serve!