Crockpot Marry Me Meatballs
Crockpot Marry Me Meatballs are an easy and delicious dinner!
Prep
0
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- Dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 15 oz jar Alfredo sauce
- 1/3 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 1 1/2 lbs frozen meatballs
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add frozen meatballs to a crockpot with one jar of Alfredo sauce.
- 2
Season with pepper, oregano, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
- 3
Add chopped sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and milk. Stir everything well.
- 4
Cook on low for 4 hours. Top meatballs with more Parmesan cheese and dried parsley.
- 5
*If the oil from the sun dried tomatoes causes any separation stir in another splash of milk before serving!
- 6
Serve over mashed potatoes or rice. Enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Thaw meatballs for 2-3 hours at room temperature before adding to the crockpot instead of cooking from frozen, reducing cook time from 6 hours to 3-4 hours on LOW while preventing the exterior from drying out as the interior defrosts.
- ✓Brown the thawed meatballs in a skillet for 4-5 minutes at 375°F before crockpot cooking to develop a Maillard crust that adds savory depth, then deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of the Alfredo sauce to capture fond particles.
- ✓Bloom your dried spices (oregano, thyme, garlic powder, smoked paprika) in a small pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil at 300°F for 60 seconds before adding to the crockpot to increase volatile aromatic compound release by up to 30%.
- ✓Add sun-dried tomatoes only in the last 30 minutes of cooking because their acidity (pH ~3.8) can break down Alfredo sauce's emulsion if heated longer, causing separation and greasiness.
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of Alfredo sauce to meatballs by volume (approximately 22.5 oz sauce per 1.5 lbs meatballs) rather than the single jar, since crockpot evaporation at 180-190°F on LOW reduces liquid by 15-20% over 4 hours.
Share this recipe
Prep
0
min
Cook
0
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Crockpot Marry Me Meatballs
Crockpot Marry Me Meatballs are an easy and delicious dinner!
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- Dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 15 oz jar Alfredo sauce
- 1/3 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 1 1/2 lbs frozen meatballs
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Add frozen meatballs to a crockpot with one jar of Alfredo sauce.
- 2
Season with pepper, oregano, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
- 3
Add chopped sun dried tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and milk. Stir everything well.
- 4
Cook on low for 4 hours. Top meatballs with more Parmesan cheese and dried parsley.
- 5
*If the oil from the sun dried tomatoes causes any separation stir in another splash of milk before serving!
- 6
Serve over mashed potatoes or rice. Enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Thaw meatballs for 2-3 hours at room temperature before adding to the crockpot instead of cooking from frozen, reducing cook time from 6 hours to 3-4 hours on LOW while preventing the exterior from drying out as the interior defrosts.
- ✓Brown the thawed meatballs in a skillet for 4-5 minutes at 375°F before crockpot cooking to develop a Maillard crust that adds savory depth, then deglaze the pan with 2 tablespoons of the Alfredo sauce to capture fond particles.
- ✓Bloom your dried spices (oregano, thyme, garlic powder, smoked paprika) in a small pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil at 300°F for 60 seconds before adding to the crockpot to increase volatile aromatic compound release by up to 30%.
- ✓Add sun-dried tomatoes only in the last 30 minutes of cooking because their acidity (pH ~3.8) can break down Alfredo sauce's emulsion if heated longer, causing separation and greasiness.
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of Alfredo sauce to meatballs by volume (approximately 22.5 oz sauce per 1.5 lbs meatballs) rather than the single jar, since crockpot evaporation at 180-190°F on LOW reduces liquid by 15-20% over 4 hours.