Weight Watchers Recipe of the Day: Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs and Sauce
Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs and Sauce
(Healthy Slow Cooker Recipes #217 – Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs and Sauce)
The slow cooker is a great way to make homemade meatballs and sauce. You don’t have to worry about the sauce bubbling over or scorching your pot during the long hours of simmering. And talk about easy, you don’t even have to precook the meatballs.
Skinny on Easy Slow Cooker Meatballs and Sauce
Be sure to use at least 93% lean ground beef in this easy slow cooker meatballs and sauce so that it’s not too greasy. Ground turkey or a combination of ground turkey and turkey sausage would work well too. Serve with whole wheat spaghetti or spaghetti squash. It would be delicious on toasted rolls with roasted bell peppers and melted cheese too. According to my calculations each serving has 408 calories and *10 Weight Watchers Points Plus, 8 SmartPoints.
Enjoy!
- 1-1/2 pounds 93% lean ground beef
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup Italian style bread crumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 jar (28 ounces) marinara sauce (I like Classico and Bertolli)
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 bay leaf, optional
- Ideal Slow Cooker Size: 4 to 6-Quart (Your slow cooker should be between ½ and ¾ full.)
- In a large bowl, gently mix together the beef, egg, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, parsley, onion and garlic powder until well combined. Shape the mixture into 18 golf-ball sized meatballs.Place meatballs in the slow cooker.
- Stir together the marinara sauce, crushed tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning and bay leaf, if using. Pour over the meatballs. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through. If you used a bay leaf, fish it out and discard before serving.
For a chunkier sauce, use diced tomatoes instead of crushed.
*PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT Weight Watchers zero points fruits and vegetables using the WW Recipe Builder.
If you liked easy slow cooker meatballs and sauce you might also like:
Easy Slow Cooker French Onion Meatballs Recipe
Slow Cooker Cranberry Meatballs
Easy Slow Cooker Italian Wedding Soup
Crock Pot Italian Meatball Soup
Slow Cooker Sausage and Peppers
Light Italian Meatballs (Laaloosh)
Weight Watchers Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs
Super Easy Spaghetti and Meatballs (Weight Watchers)
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This looks LOVELY! Have wanted to try crockpot sauce for a long time – never quite had the courage! But I truly think that this picture sells me — I’m ready to give it a try!!! Can almost taste it now.
These meatballs looks delectable. I’ll be trying this one soon. Thanks!
Hope you like them, Mary!