One of the family favourites I make over and over is my slow cooker bolognese sauce. It might vary slightly depending on what vegetables I have to use up in the fridge, but the basic elements are always the same and my recipe makes a tasty thick bolognese sauce that my family will polish off with ease.
Now there are cold winds and the evenings are much darker, I am valuing my slow cookers even more. Coming home to a hot meal is a massive plus point for me.
When my children come home from school or go to after school activities, I love the fact I don’t have to start cooking then as I have already prepared the food earlier in the day. Any extra family time without stress is great!
How to Achieve A Thick Bolognese Sauce in the Slow Cooker
If you think the slow cooker can only produce watery sauces think again.
My rich flavourful slow cooker bolognese sauce isn’t artificially thickened with cornflour.
If you just keep an eye on the amount of liquid you use and remember that you can’t reduce a sauce in the slow cooker, in fact you will gain liquid during cooking as the steam does not escape, you can have great results.
How to Serve Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
If I’m busy then I’ll pop this in my slow cooker in the morning and cook for 7-8 hours on low, or if I am out in the morning I’ll start it going at lunch time and cook for 4-5 hours on high.
Cooking a pan of pasta only takes ten to fifteen minutes and you are all set for a great family meal. Of course spaghetti is traditional for bolognese sauce but we often use pasta shells or whatever I have in the store cupboard.
It’s best to cook your pasta separately rather than adding it in the slow cooker. You’d have to add plenty of water to ensure the pasta would cook, which could result in a watery bolognese.
Add some garlic bread and green vegetables and you’re done!
I also like to make a double batch of my slow cooker bolognese sauce and freeze a few portions for another day.
More Family Slow Cooker Recipes To Try
For more family recipes to make in your slow cooker, have a look at my slow cooker sausage casserole, slow cooker shepherd’s pie and slow cooker cottage pie, all of which my kids enjoy.
You’ll probably also like my post on family slow cooker recipes that kids love which has 20 recipes to look through, and my slow cooker archives.
Pin this slow cooker bolognese sauce recipe for later:
Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 medium red onions
- 1 yellow pepper
- 200 g carrot batons
- 200 g cherry tomatoes
- 500 g pack of lean beef steak mince
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- 4 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 beef stock pot or your preferred stock cube
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt and pepper to season
Equipment
Instructions
- Brown the mince in a pan misted with cooking spray or oil.
- Add the garlic for the last minute.
- Place the onions, pepper, carrots and tomatoes in the slow cooker pot.
- Add the browned mince and garlic, then add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, stock pot, and herbs. Season well.
- Cook on low for 7-8 hours on or high for 4-5 hours.
What a tasty recipe Lucy, the slow cooker does a great job with a bolognese sauce. I like how you’ve added a beef stock pot.
Thank you Sarah 🙂
It sounds like a lovely bolognese. I used to find that some of my slow cooker meals were too liquidy in the past but I do agree that it’s possible to avoid that by not adding as much liquid, although sometimes it’s a little counter-intuitive when putting everything in.
Thanks Corina. Yes lots of people get a bit confused by the liquid at first I think but once you get used to it it seems quite natural to use less stock etc doesn’t it!
This looks delicious – perfect dinner now we’re getting into the colder weather!
Lauren x
Elle Bloggs
Thanks Lauren, it was a great winter warmer!
Delicious looking bolognese, Lucy. Need to get my slow cooking head on and get a recipe blogged!
Thanks Janice, I am using my slow cookers all the time now it has got cold again!
This is a great idea. I need to pull my slow cooker out of storage!
Hi this looks delicious. Just wondering though do you add any water with the stock pot or stock cube – or do you just add the pot or cumble the cube over the dish? Hope you can help as look forward to making this.
Hi Susan, great glad you like it. No I just popped the stock pot in on top, you can see it in the photo inside the slow cooker on the page just about I think. If you add water it will get very watery which I avoid. Later in the liquid increases during cooking and I give it a quick stir.