Slow Cooker Million Dollar Pasta
This rich, creamy, and cheesy slow cooker pasta is the ultimate comfort food that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen. Featuring layers of seasoned meat, pasta, and a luscious blend of cream cheese, ricotta, and mozzarella, it’s a set-it-and-forget-it dinner perfect for busy weeknights or laid-back weekends.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American, Italian-Inspired
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef or Italian sausage
- 12 oz uncooked penne or ziti pasta
- 1 (8 oz) block cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Nonstick spray
Instructions
- Brown the Meat: In a skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef or sausage. Drain grease and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Make the Cheese Mixture: In a bowl, mix softened cream cheese, ricotta, sour cream, and 1 cup of mozzarella.
- Layer in the Slow Cooker: Spray the slow cooker with nonstick spray. Spread a layer of marinara sauce, half the pasta, half the meat, and half the cheese mixture. Repeat the layers. Top with remaining marinara and mozzarella.
- Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours, until pasta is tender and cheese is melted.
- Serve: Gently stir before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley or basil, if desired.
Notes
- Soften the cream cheese for easier mixing
- Use high-quality or homemade marinara for best flavor
- Check at 3 hours to avoid overcooking pasta
- Fresh spinach or mushrooms make great additions
- Can be made vegetarian or lightened up with ground turkey and low-fat dairy
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 740mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 23g
- Cholesterol: 90mg