Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs and Spaghetti (5 minutes to prepare)

This is an easy recipe, which the kids really enjoyed. You can make your own meatballs which I usually do but I have been doing lots of hours in my new job, so severe lack of time at the moment.

I am still grabbing from the coop, the meatballs were on special offer at 2 packs for £5. I will include the proper recipe, all homemade in the near future. I'm determined to make more of an effort with shopping from next week. This dish is a real favourite in my house.

Start it in the morning, before work/school run and you have a tasty family friendly meal when you get in. All you need is 8-10 minutes to cook the spaghetti when you are ready to eat it.

Once you have served the meatballs there will be a lot of tomato sauce still left in the slow cooker, you can save this for another day to have on pasta or save it for my next recipe oxtail in red wine.

INGREDIENTS

2 packets of meatballs

2 tins of italian tomatoes

5 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons of olive oil

pinch of chilli flakes

1/2 teaspoon of herbes de provence (I used Camargue salt with herbes de provence already in but realise most of you won't have this so substitute for thyme or oregano either is fine.

1 teaspoon of sugar

Salt and pepper

Parmesan/grana pandano/pecorino romano to top (optional)

METHOD

1) Heat pan on high and add half of olive oil, add meatballs and shake around to brown for 2-3 mins while you chop garlic, add meatballs to slow cooker

2) Turn heat down to medium, add rest of olive oil, garlic and chilli fry for 30 seconds add to slow cooker

3) Add tomatoes, sugar, herbs and pepper to slow cooker

4) Cook or 7-8 hours on low (no more than 10 ish hours)

5) Add salt to taste, cook spaghetti

6) Add cheese to serve

7) Save remaining sauce, will last 2/3 days in fridge or freeze. You can use the remaining sauce for my next recipe, Oxtail in red wine.