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Slow cooker Italian meatballs in the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Italian Meatballs - AU Cups

Robyn
These juicy ground beef meatballs with parmesan and parsley and slowly cooked in a rich tomato sauce flavoured with onion, garlic and Italian herbs are the most delicious comfort food that is always popular with the whole family!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Course dinner
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people
Calories 407 kcal

Equipment

  • slow cooker

Ingredients
  

Meatballs

  • 2 slices white bread crusts removed
  • ¼ c milk
  • 500 g beef mince
  • 4 tablespoons parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 egg beaten
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 800 g passata or crushed tomatoes
  • ½ c water
  • 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

To serve

  • cooked spaghetti or polenta
  • fresh parsley optional
  • freshly grated parmesan optional

Instructions
 

To make the meatballs

  • Roughly tear the bread into pieces and place in a small bowl and pour over the milk. Leave to stand for 5 minutes then squeeze out the milk, setting the milk aside.
  • Add the bread to a large bowl, then add the beef mince, grated parmesan, chopped parsley, minced garlic, egg, and salt and black pepper, and stir to combine. If the mixture seems dry add a little of the saved milk – it should be a soft mixture.
  • Take heaped teaspoons or a small ice cream scoop of the mixture and, using damp hands, roll in to balls.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet / frying pan over a medium high heat and add the meatballs, taking care not too overcrowd the pan – you might have to cook them in two batches. Fry for 3-4 minutes, until golden all over. They will not be cooked through at this stage.
  • Place the meatballs in the slow cooker.

To make the sauce

  • Pour the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the skillet / frying pan, turn the heat down to medium, and fry the onion for 5 minutes until starting to soften, then add the garlic and fry for a minute.
  • Tip the onion and garlic into the slow cooker.
  • Pour the passata / crushed tomatoes into the slow cooker with the water, Italian seasoning, and salt and black pepper.
  • Cook on LOW for 6 hours, until the meatballs are no longer pink in the middle.
  • Serve over cooked spaghetti or your pasta of choice, sprinkled with fresh parsley and freshly grated parmesan.
  • Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

STORAGE / MAKE AHEAD
Fridge: Store the meatballs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months, defrosting in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a saucepan over a medium heat or microwave until piping hot.
If making ahead to serve with pasta, store the meatballs separately to the pasta to avoid the pasta from absorbing the sauce.
INGREDIENT NOTES
  • Bread – white sandwich bread or Italian style bread. Slightly stale bread is also fine to use. Remove any crusts (and use them to make these bread crust croutons).
  • Milk – together with the bread, this helps bind the meatballs and add moisture, keeping the meatballs juicy.
  • Ground Beef – or use a mix of ground beef and pork.
  • Fresh parsley – or use 2-3 teaspoons of dried parsley if you prefer.
  • Parmesan – I recommend using fresh parmesan and grating it yourself for the best flavour.
  • Tomatoes – use either passata / tomato puree, or crushed tomatoes.
  • Water – or substitute with broth / stock. However if you do use stock, I recommend using low sodium chicken or homemade vegetable stock and leaving out the salt in the sauce to avoid the dish from becoming too salty.
  • Italian seasoning – or use a mixture of dried basil and dried oregano.

Nutrition

Calories: 407kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 36gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 740mgPotassium: 1447mgFiber: 5gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 1331IUVitamin C: 27mgCalcium: 191mgIron: 8mg
Keyword slow cooker meatballs

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