Slow Cooker Meatball Casserole

The state championship is October 14th. Diego is due October 15th. This confluence of dates has become a running joke in the family that is also not a joke at all. My dad says "the baby will come when the baby comes." Jessica says "the baby will come when I say the baby comes." The smart money is on Jessica.

I have to make a decision about the state championship, and I've made it: I'm not competing. Not this year. The timing is too close. Jessica hasn't asked me to withdraw — she's more generous than that — but I saw the look on her face when I mentioned the competition date last week, and the look said everything her words didn't: "If you are standing over a brisket when our son is being born, I will end you, and the brisket, and our marriage, in that order."

I called Gary — my BBQ friend from Peoria, the retired plumber — and told him I'm sitting out this year. He said "Rivera, I have three kids. I missed exactly zero births. The championship will be there next year. Your wife will not forget." He's right. Gary is always right about the intersection of BBQ and marriage. Wisdom comes from unexpected places.

So instead of competition prep, I'm doing something different with my weekends: freezer prep. I'm cooking meals to freeze for after Diego arrives, because when you have a newborn and a three-year-old and a wife recovering from delivery, the last thing you need is to be figuring out dinner from scratch. I made and froze: green chile stew (four quarts), marinara sauce (six jars), shredded chicken in tomatillo sauce (three pounds), breakfast burritos (twenty, individually wrapped), and a double batch of meatballs in red sauce. The freezer is full. Jessica looked at it and said "it's like a restaurant walk-in." I said "it's like insurance." Same thing.

Sofia doesn't understand why the freezer is full of food she can't eat right now. She opened it on Saturday and said "eat?" and I said "these are for after the baby comes" and she said "baby eat ALL the food?" and I said "no, the food is for everyone" and she looked at me with the suspicion of a three-year-old who has correctly identified a threat to her resource allocation. Sibling rivalry, I'm learning, starts before the sibling arrives.

Of everything I packed into that freezer, the meatballs in red sauce are the ones I’m most proud of. They’re the meal I know will actually get eaten at 11 p.m. when Jessica and I are running on two hours of sleep and Sofia is demanding something that is definitely not tomatillo chicken. This slow cooker version is how I make them in bulk—dump it all in, let it go, bag it, freeze it. Championship-level effort without the championship. Gary would approve.

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 4 hours | Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg, beaten
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 pound penne or rigatoni pasta
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Make the meatballs. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, milk, egg, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan. Mix gently with your hands until just combined—don’t overwork the meat. Roll into 1-1/2 inch balls (you should get about 24).
Build the sauce. In the slow cooker, stir together the marinara sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, and dried basil until well combined.
Add the meatballs. Nestle the meatballs into the sauce in a single layer, spooning sauce over the top so they’re mostly covered.
Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2-1/2 hours, until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce is bubbling.
Cook the pasta. About 20 minutes before serving, cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Combine and top. Add the cooked pasta directly to the slow cooker and gently toss with the sauce and meatballs. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the top, cover, and cook on high for 5–10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Serve. Scoop into bowls and garnish with fresh basil if desired.

Freezer Tip: To freeze, skip the pasta and cheese steps. Let the meatballs and sauce cool completely, then portion into freezer bags or containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the slow cooker on low for 2 hours, then cook fresh pasta and add cheese before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Slow Cooker Meatball Casserole — The Freezer Insurance Policy That Saved My Sanity