You can still enjoy this wonderful Italian comfort food and also feel great after you eat it!
Baked spaghetti and ziti is an Italian staple. It’s cheesy and creamy and saucy, but also packs in the calories and fat, easily using up your daily allotment! Our Slow Cooker Spaghetti Casserole is the SkinnyMs. answer to this delicious Italian splurge meal. It’s got the same texture and satisfaction without all the guilt.
This dish is great for getting those carbs in to hit your macros. It’s the perfect way to save time, as well as your diet. By making your own meat sauce in the slow cooker and using low fat cream cheese and mozzarella, you can still enjoy this wonderful Italian comfort food and also feel great after you eat it!
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey or beef, 93% lean
- 12 ounces white mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 cup white onion diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 24 ounces tomato and basil pasta sauce jar
- 14 1/2 ounces diced tomatoes can
- 1 pound spaghetti broken in half
- 1 cup cream cheese low-fat
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese part-skim, shredded
Instructions
- In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, brown the meat, mushrooms and onions together. After the meat is browned add the garlic, cook for a minute a longer. Drain the fat. Add the salt, oregano and basil and stir. Pour the pasta sauce and can of tomatoes into the slow cooker, then add the meat onto the sauce in the slow cooker and stir.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours without opening the lid. After the cooking time is up, cook the noodles as directed on the package in boiling water on the stove-top. Note that the noodles will cook a bit more after adding them to the slow cooker. Drain the noodles and add them to the meat sauce in the slow cooker. Stir, then flatten the noodles in an even layer.
- In a small bowl break up the cream cheese into small squares then layer on top of the pasta. Add the mozzarella cheese. Cover and cook for an extra 20 minutes on LOW. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
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Adapted from The Magical Slow Cooker.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Cheesy Broccoli and Cauliflower Casserole
Skinny Spaghetti Squash with Marinara
How did this recipe turn out? What did you like about it? Let us know in the comments section below!
