Slow Cooker Baked Spaghetti

The slow cooking for hours means getting to play for hours, or relax, without having to worry about dinner. When my family was up from Texas this past week, this recipe was a life saver. Everyone in the house ended up getting sick, so my mom came over to help with the first part of the recipe, and it was the slow cooker's job after that. It turned out amazing, the house smelled like an Italian restaurant, and that cheese.......so good!

Ingredients:

2 cans (Traditional) Hunt's Pasta Sauce

1 1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 white onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1 1/2 lb. spaghetti noodles (cooked according to package after sauce has cooked)

4 oz. cream cheese, 1'3 less fat

1 c. low fat ricotta

1 tsp. salt

2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

In a large saucepan, cook the meat and the onions together until the meat is all brown. Drain the excess grease if there is a large amount in the pan. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. Add in the salt, oregano and basil and stir together. Pour the meat mixture into the slow cooker, add in the Hunt's pasta sauce and stir together. Cover and cook on Low for 4 hours. 

Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, then drain the water. In a small bowl, add the softened cream cheese, ricotta and salt together. Mix until you are left with a mostly smooth creamy consistency. 

Stir in the noodles with the sauce. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top and sprinkle the cheese in an even layer. Cover with the lid again and cook for another 20 minutes on Low until the cheese is fully melted. Serve and top with some fresh chopped parsley if you want to add some color and freshness.