Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce
Updated March 26, 2019
Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce-this rich and hearty marinara sauce has the BEST flavor because it is made in the slow cooker. You will love this simple sauce!
This is a sponsored post by Hunt’s tomatoes. All opinions are our own.
It is officially fall and the cooler temperatures have hit. I love opening the windows to feel the cool, crisp fall air. Of course, I am bundled up under the covers, but I still love that fresh breath of fall. It is a cozy feeling!
I am so ready for cozy and comforting foods. I got out our slow cooker and made our favorite Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce to serve over pasta…classic comfort food and the perfect meal for fall.
You can’t beat homemade marinara sauce. It is the BEST! But don’t worry, you don’t have to slave over the stove all day to make an amazing sauce. That is where the slow cooker comes in. Throw all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and walk away while the sauce simmers away. The slow cooking brings out the BEST flavor and you can go about your day.
The marinara sauce recipe is simple. To the slow cooker, I add onion, garlic, Hunt’s diced tomatoes, Hunt’s tomato paste, olive oil, bay leaves, basil, oregano, a little brown sugar, salt, and pepper. That is it! I let the slow cooker do the rest of the work.
I like to use Hunt’s tomatoes for the sauce. Last week, I went to New York City to attend an event with Hunt’s and we learned all about their tomatoes and watched a FlashSteam™ demonstration, similar to what Hunt’s does.
Instead of using chemicals, like lye* Hunt’s peels all its diced, whole, and stewed tomatoes using steam from simple hot water – the process is called FlashSteam™. This means no chemical by-products get put back into the earth. Hunt’s tomato products are 100% natural and non-GMO, with no artificial preservatives.
I like to let the sauce hangout in the slow cooker on low for six to eight hours to bring out the richness of the sauce. If you are in a hurry, you can cook it on high for two hours, but slow and low is the best way to go for this sauce. You want the sauce to simmer down to bring out the best flavors.
The marinara sauce is great served with your favorite pasta, vegetables, layered between lasagna, with meatballs, on top of chicken or eggplant parmesan, or served as a dipping sauce for garlic knots or pizza rolls. It is good on just about everything!
This recipe makes a lot, so I always stick some in the freezer for another day. It will keep in the freezer for three months and has saved dinner a million times. When 5:00 rolls around and I don’t know what to make for dinner, I can always turn to the marinara sauce in the freezer. Cook up a little pasta and dinner is served!
Get out your slow cooker and make this easy Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce. It is guaranteed to be a staple in your home and will come in handy whenever you are in a dinner bind. You can throw everything in the slow cooker in the morning and come back to the most amazing sauce at dinner time. And don’t forget to keep some in the freezer at all times! I promise, this sauce will save you when you don’t have anything else to make. It is always a winner!
Slow Cooker Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 28 oz cans Hunt's Diced Tomatoes
- 1 6 oz can Hunt's Tomato Paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Dash of crushed red pepper
Instructions
- Place the onion, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, olive oil, bay leaves, basil, oregano, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper inย the slow cooker. Stir and put the lid on. Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours.
- Remove the lid on the slow cooker, stir the sauce, and remove the bay leaves. If you don't like a chunky sauce, use a hand blender to puree the sauce. You can also transfer the sauce to a blender if you don't have a hand blender. Just be careful if the sauce is hot. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. This sauce is great withย yourย favorite pasta, vegetables, layered between lasagna, with meatballs, on top of chicken or eggplant parmesan, or served as a dipping sauce for garlic knots or pizza rolls.
- Note-you can cook on high for 2-4 hours, but I think the sauce is best cooked on low. It allows the sauce time to simmer and develop a rich flavor. This sauce freezes beautifully! Cool completely and pour the sauce into freezer bags or freezer containers. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Have you tried this recipe?
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You can follow Hunt’s on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. Lye Peeling is generally recognized as safe by the FDA and has no adverse effects on the healthfulness of tomatoes.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hunt’s . The opinions and text are all mine.
Maria,
This is a fabulous recipe!!! I make it often and apologize for not reviewing sooner. It is the best! Thanks so very much!
I stopped buying marinara sauce after Finding this recipe, yes that one time I thought I had a jar and didn’t and had to figure something out tip: if you forget to put it on, in time – 2 hrs on high and 2-3 on low works almost as great thank you for this recipe, it’s awesome โค๏ธ
So glad you love it.
This is my go-to sauce recipe, it’s absolutely delicious. Nothing is better than putting this on in the morning, leaving the house for the day, and coming home later to the house smelling amazing.
Thank you!!!!
I am so glad you love the sauce!
I have made this recipe four times now. I make it as is and have also browned ground beef in a pan and added it to the recipe when adding all the ingredients into the slow cooker. Both ways have turned out fantastic and my family declared it is now their favorite pasta sauce. So easy and delicious!
It’s my go to!