Description
Slow Cooker Million Dollar Pasta is a rich and creamy one-pot pasta dish featuring layers of ground beef, cream cheese mixture, marinara sauce, and bowtie pasta, all slow-cooked to perfection and topped with melted mozzarella cheese. This comforting meal is easy to prepare and perfect for a hearty dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
Dairy
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 cup ricotta
- 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella
Spices
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Other
- 2 (24 oz) jars marinara sauce, divided
- 1 (24 oz) jar filled with water
- 1 (16 oz) box bowtie pasta
Instructions
- Cook the ground beef: Place ground beef in a large skillet and season with salt and pepper. Crumble the beef and cook over medium heat until fully browned. Drain the grease and set the beef aside.
- Prepare the cream mixture: In a medium-sized bowl, combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Mix until smooth and set aside.
- Layer the ingredients in the slow cooker: Pour half a jar of marinara sauce into the bottom of the slow cooker and spread evenly to the edges. Sprinkle half of the uncooked bowtie pasta evenly over the sauce. Pour the remaining half jar of marinara sauce on top of the pasta.
- Add water and meat: Fill the empty marinara jar with water (24 oz) and pour half of this water over the ingredients in the slow cooker. Sprinkle half of the cooked ground beef evenly over the top.
- Add the cream cheese layer: Spoon the entire cream cheese mixture evenly over the layers in the slow cooker.
- Add remaining layers: Layer the remaining pasta over the cream mixture, then pour the second jar of marinara sauce (24 oz) evenly over the pasta. Gently pour the remaining half jar of water over the top, then add the remaining ground beef as the final layer.
- Cook the pasta: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Check if the pasta is fully cooked; if not, continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
- Add cheese and finish cooking: Once the pasta is tender, sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over the top. Cover the slow cooker again and cook until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.
- Serve: Scoop portions from the slow cooker, making sure each serving includes all layers of pasta, sauce, meat, and cheese. Serve warm.
Notes
- For a quicker option, use pre-cooked pasta but reduce slow cooker time accordingly to avoid overcooking.
- Use low-fat cream cheese and sour cream for a lighter version.
- If you prefer a spicier dish, add red pepper flakes or chopped jalapeños to the cream mixture.
- To make it gluten-free, substitute bowtie pasta with gluten-free pasta.
- Be sure to layer ingredients gently to maintain distinct layers and ensure even cooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 680 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
