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A bowl of spaghetti and slow cooker bolognese sauce.

Slow Cooker Bolognese - US Cups

Robyn
This easy minced beef slow cooker bolognese recipe is rich and flavour packed, and an easy, budget friendly dinner loved by kids!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 15 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 -6 people
Calories 311 kcal

Equipment

  • slow cooker
  • Frying pan

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 2 carrots finely diced
  • 2 sticks celery finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons tomato puree tomato paste
  • ½ c white or red wine or stock
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 28 oz canned chopped tomatoes or passata
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • salt
  • black pepper

To serve

  • spaghetti
  • parmesan finely grated
  • fresh parsley finely chopped

Instructions
 

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery and cook for 5-7 minutes, until starting to soften.
  • Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute, then tip in to the slow cooker.
  • Using the same frying pan, add the ½ tablespoon oil and turn the heat up to high. Cook the ground beef until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
  • Add the tomato puree / tomato paste to the beef and cook for a minute, then tip into the slow cooker.
  • Add the wine to the frying pan and scrape the bits off the pan, then pour this into the slow cooker together with the tomatoes, dried oregano, thyme, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper.
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours.
  • Serve with cooked spaghetti, sprinkle with grated parmesan and chopped parsley, optional.
  • Leftover bolognese will keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

MAKE AHEAD / STORAGE
  • Fridge: Store the bolognese sauce in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. If you want to store it with cooked spaghetti / pasta, keep in mind the pasta will absorb a lot of the liquid so add water or stock when reheating.
  • Freeze: Freeze the sauce for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
INGREDIENTS NOTES
  • Minced beef - also known as ground beef. Or, for more of an Italian meat sauce use half beef mince and half pork mince.
  • Wine - I have made this with both white wine and red wine, whatever you have open! Use stock - either chicken or vegetable stock - if you don't want to use alcohol.
  • Tomatoes - tinned / canned tomatoes. Either crushed tomatoes or passata, or crush plum tomatoes with a fork to break them up.
  • Herbs - use ½ teaspoon dried thyme instead of the fresh thyme, and if you don't have bay leaves either leave out or use one of these substitutes for bay leaves.
 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 29gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 416mgPotassium: 1040mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 5405IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 111mgIron: 6mg
Keyword slow cooker beef mince, slow cooker bolognese

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