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Perfect homemade bolognese sauce in the slow cooker! This bolognese is slow cooked for hours to give it that rich, delicious flavor. Make a large batch and freeze it for lasagnas, and quick weeknight pasta dinners all winter long!
It’s that time again! We’re throwing a bunch of ingredients into a crockpot and slow cooking a big batch of homemade meat sauce aka bolognese that will make you a true HERO with all the hungry little people you have at home. And the best part? You can use as much as you like and freeze the rest for easy weeknight dinners for whenever you please.
After the labor day weekend, my hope for you is that you’ll join me in cooking up big batches of comfort food like this meat sauce and freezing it for those chilly fall evenings when all you want to do is curl up on the couch and binge watch good tv, twirl your fork, and slurp noodles while you cuddle with your significant other. How beautiful does that sound? <– Totally the epitome of fall. Can I get an amen up in herrrr?
Can you tell i’m so ready for fall? Like a dork, i’ve only been talking about it for the last 2 weeks now!
Shall I dare say that this is the best bolognese sauce recipe i’ve ever experienced? Yes, I think I shall. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had good bolognese before, but great bolognese sauce! Great bolognese is hard to come by. After recipe testing for almost 2 years (slightly longer than the blog has actually been around), i’ve finally settled on my favorite recipe for it.
So what makes my bolognese sauce recipe unique and better? I used a combination of fresh and canned tomatoes. As tomato season comes to a close, I wanted to make up a big batch of bolognese to enjoy all winter long. Um.. yeah, about that. I’ll definitely need to whip up another batch this week as we’re having family over this weekend for a big lasagna dinner, where my bolognese sauce is the
STAR.
Your 5 year old and I would like to have a word with you. We have a real problem with meat sauces That contain big chunks of onions, carrots, and celery. I like to chop up the veggies extra fine because i’m pickier than any child you’ve ever met. If you don’t want to spend the time chopping, toss it all into a food processor with a coarse grater attachment. 8 hours in the slow cooker and the veggies won’t even be recognizable! Those toddlers/ little kids/ I aren’t gonna know what hit ’em us! 
Other than the fresh tomatoes, i’m using tomato paste, 1-28 ounce can San Marzano along with 1-14 ounce can of diced tomatoes. We’re using 4 different forms of tomatoes so that the bright acidic flavor really shines through.
Also, toss in a few parmesan rinds. DO IT. You’ll thank me later. If you’ve made my minestrone soup before, you know how much flavor it brings to the table. A couple of bay leaves and some Italian seasoning blend makes this homemade bolognese sauce a home run hit!
Homemade bolognese sauce is exactly what a chilly fall evening needs. Serve it over a bed of spaghetti with a sprinkle or a fistful of freshly grated parmesan and lots of garlic bread to catch all that extra bolognese.
Clear your to-do list for the weekend and make this sauce too. Let it cook up all low and slow in the crockpot and I promise you, you won’t regret it!
Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes see note
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced or coarsely grated
- 2 stalks celery finely diced or coarsely grated
- 2 medium carrots finely diced or coarsely grated
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 21/2 - 3 pounds ground beef I used 85% lean (see note)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1-28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
- 1-14 ounce can diced tomatoes drained
- 2 bay leaves
- 1-2 parmesan rinds
- 1/4 cup parsley roughly chopped (plus more for serving)
- 3/4 cup half and half or heavy cream!
Instructions
- Bring a large stockpot of water to boil. Core the fresh tomatoes and mark an "X" on the top and bottom so it's easier to peel. Add the tomatoes and allow the tomatoes to boil for 15 minutes. Drain and submerge the tomatoes in cold water to immediately stop from cooking further.
- In a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and allow to cook for 8-10 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Drain any unnecessary grease with the exception of about 1-2 tablespoons. Add the garlic along with the tomato paste and let cook for 30 seconds.
- Increase the flame to medium-high, add the ground beef, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, the Italian seasoning, and the red pepper flakes. Allow the meat to brown, add the apple cider vinegar and allow the met to cook for another 3-4 minutes.
- Add the ground meat to the crockpot along with the diced tomatoes, san marzano tomatoes, bay leaves, parmesan rinds, and parsley. Add a big pinch of salt and pepper, and allow the bolognese to cook for 8 hours on the LOW setting of your crockpot. Add the half and half and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Serve over pasta sprinkled with parmesan cheese and additional parsley.
Notes
- Tomatoes - If you don't want to use fresh tomatoes, use an additional 28 ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes. This is less than the 2 1/2 pounds, but the flavor is also more concentrated.
- For the Ground Beef - I like to use about 3 pounds because I like a little extra meat throughout my meat sauce. If you like more sauce, just cut back the quantity of the meat to 2 1/2 pounds. Also, you don't want to choose something that's too lean as it will dry out quite a bit in the long cooking process.
Leftover bolognese can be frozen in ziptop bags and can be thawed and reheated for serving.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
I doubled the recipe and used a stock pot for slow cooking. I placed it on low heat and stirred once an hour. The flavor was amazing. My husband, who hated spaghetti in the past, loved it.
I do have a question. When you place the tomatoes in the cold water, how long is it supposed to be emerged in the water? I think the sauce, although delicious was runny.
I usually just leave them for 2-3 minutes so they’re cool enough to handle.
I use this recipe about 4 times a year. I hate not having some in the freezer for good meals on busy activity filled nights. Thus time I used 2 lbs 80/20 ground beef and just over a full lb of sweet Italian sausage. The flavor is amazing! Tha is so much for a family favorite.
I don’t have 8 hours till dinner can I cook it in high for 4.
For best results, I suggest following the recipe as written and cooking for 8. I feel you may not get that flavor development in 4 hours.
This recipe is a keeper! I’m back to make it a second time. The first time, my DH and kids went back for not only seconds but thirds as well!. And the remaining sauce froze perfectly and in my opinion was better after thawing. Thank you!
Does it have to cook for 8h?
I do recommend cooking this for 8 hours as that allows the flavors to really develop.
Now should my Parmesan rinds have “melted”? I can’t decide if I should turn the crock pot on high for a few hours or if they should have remained in solid form. I tend to ruin everything, so I could have sabotaged this recipe as well.
Yes, some of the parmesan rind will melt but some of it might also stay in tact! I had some leftover which I fished out at the end before serving!
Love the recipe and can’t wait to try it while baby is napping! I don’t have any half and half or cream. Can I use milk?
Thanks Sahar! Unfortunately, milk isn’t a suitable substitute for this recipe.
Hi,
Simmering in the crockpot now. I do have a question tho. Do you cut up the fresh tomatoes before adding to crockpot? And also assuming you add these when all the other tomatoes go in? Also, my San Marzano tomatoes came whole. Do these get cut up as well?
Can’t wait to try it tonight!
Thanks,
Elyse
Hi Elyse, I didn’t cut up the fresh tomatoes or the San Marzano tomatoes. I prefer my bolognese to have lots of texture with the tomatoes, but this is entirely up to you! Feel free to pulse some or all of the tomatoes in a food processor or you can even just use kitchen shears to give it a quick chop. And yes, everything but the half and half goes in at the same time 🙂
Do you use any tomatoe sauce along with your whole tomatoes……can i use 1 can of tomatoes and 1 can of sauce
I didn’t as the fresh tomatoes have a high water content. You can certainly use 1 (14 ounce) can of whole tomatoes and 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce but know that the seasonings may also need to be adjusted as tomato sauce usually contains salt, italian seasoning etc. 1 can of crushed tomatoes might be a better option if you want your sauce to be thinner!
This sauce recipe is to die for! Not kidding…absolutely incredible and will become a staple in our home!! So thank you, thank you, thank you!!! The only issue I had with my family is that they didn’t like the diced or chunky tomatoes in the sauce. How can I hide them? Could they be puréed and still achieve the same amazing result? Would love to hear your advice. ?
Sure! Just just blend before adding.
Okay, Thank you! I’m finally going to make it today. I forgot to ask though what kind of tomatoes are needed? Can I use fresh roma tomatoes, or does it have to be large regular tomatoes, heirloom, or tomatoes on the vine?
Did you drain the beef after browning?
I didn’t have more than 1 tablespoon of grease left in the pan after browning so I didn’t need to, feel free to drain the excess if you do. 🙂
Would I be able to substitute the half and half or heavy cream for something else to make it healthier?
This recipe looks great! Can you clarify when to add the half and half? At the beginning of the 8 hours of cooking or at the end?
Thanks Kathy! You add the half and half at the end of the 8 hours of slow cooking.
is there anything I can substitute the half and half for to make it healthier?
The only substitute that I can suggest would be low fat or fat free half and half, unfortunately without further recipe testing, I can’t make any other suggestions.
What is in the Italian Seasoning. I can’t find it in Spain.
Italian seasoning is a combination of the following dried herbs (amongst others) – basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme. I suggest ¼ teaspoon of each to make the 1 teaspoon needed for this recipe.
I was wondering what size slow cooker you use? I have a 6 quart one, does it matter really what size you use? I noticed that some slow cooker recipes use a small slow cooker and I was wondering if that matters and if yours is a small or big slow cooker? Thank you!
I used an 8 quart slow cooker, Sandy. But this recipe will fit in a 7 quart as well. You could make a half batch in your 6 quart if you’d like.
I don’t know if it makes a difference for sure, but I did notice that when I used larger slow cookers (like my 8 quart) to make a small batch of dip or something, it would almost always cook up faster than if I doubled the recipe and cooked for the same amount of time. Because of this issue, I ended up investing in a few different sizes. Your 6 quart is a good size because it can go either way. Since my 8 quart was huge, I bought a 3 quart for dips, smaller roasts, etc.
Thank you 🙂 I was also wondering if I would be able to substitute the half and half or heavy cream for something else to make it healthier?
Unfortunately, I don’t think there is anything else you can use. Perhaps low fat or fat free half and half?
Hi Marzia, Do you know if you are able to can this recipe? Thank you in advance.
Jolene
Unfortunately i’m unsure, Jolene. If I had to make a guess, i’d say it’s probably not safe for canning as the recipe contains half and half (or heavy cream). But if you decide to try it, i’d love to know how it went! 🙂
if this was to be canned, i would not add the beef, cheese or half and half. bottle the sauce and add lemon juice to avoid spoilage
I made this tonight and it was delicious! My husband declared it some of the best he has ever had. Thank you!
Wow! That’s quite a compliment! Glad you guys enjoyed it Emily! Thank you for taking the time to comment 🙂
After putting the cream and freezing it will the sauce curdle when taken out of the freezer for reheating or cooking it as it contains apple cider vinegar . It turned out excellent and I am in the process of freezing it. Thanks
I usually make a big batch of this stuff and freeze it without any curdling issues. The only thing i’ve noticed is that when you use fresh tomatoes, sometimes, it releases a little extra watery when you defrost it. Just drip off/cook off the excess water when reheating. I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Made the Bolognese Sauce. It was delicious! I was wondering what you think of cooking the ground beef the night before to save time in the morning?
Yup! You can can cook the ground beef the night before, I would just allow it to come to room temp before popping it in the refrigerator for the next day!
Hi! I’m excited to try your recipe for Bolognese Sauce. I have a quick question about the instructions. Do you really mean to boil the tomatoes for 15 minutes? Not 15 seconds? Thanks for your response!
Yup, that’s right! It’s 15 minutes. Though you may be able to get by with as little as 10 minutes. Just watch for the skin of the tomato, when it starts peeling away from the flesh, you can drain it.
Thanks! And one more question. Should I chop the fresh and canned tomatoes or just out in whole?