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–+ servings
Italian Sausage Meatballs

Italian Sausage Meatballs | Slow Cooker Meatballs | Gluten Free

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Italian sausage meatballs are simmered in spaghetti sauce with onion, red bell peppers, and green bell peppers, then topped with Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme. Eat over pasta or a toasted roll.
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Equipment

Ingredients

For the Italian Sausage Meatballs:

  • 2 lbs sweet Italian sausage or mild or hot Italian sausage, or a combination
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 5-6 tablespoon gluten-free breadcrumbs, or regular breadcrumbs I used 4C's GF crumbs
  • 2 tablespoon milk for dairy-free: use DF milk such as almond milk
  • 2 teaspoon minced garlic, or 2 cloves minced
  • ¾ teaspoon salt

To the Slow Cooker:

  • 3 bell peppers of assorted colors (red & green recommended) de-seeded, sliced
  • 2 yellow onions sliced
  • 24-45 oz your favorite family-sized marinara sauce I used Prego Traditional. If you want extra sauce for pasta/bread, use 36 oz or more.
  • fresh chopped thyme or basil for topping the meatballs optional
  • extra Parmesan cheese for topping the meatballs
  • gluten free pasta or bread, or regular pasta/bread for serving

Instructions

For the meatballs:

  • Prep: Set out a large piece of parchment paper or a tray for the raw meatballs to rest on as you roll them.
  • Add the ground sausage to a large mixing bowl. Add in the eggs, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumbs, milk, garlic, and salt. Using your hands, work the ingredients together until well incorporated. The mixture should form a ball.
  • Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon measurement, scoop 1-2 tbsps of the mixture per meatball and roll into a ball. Place onto prepared parchment paper. Repeat until all of the mixture has been used up.

To the slow cooker:

  • Add some of the marinara sauce to the bottom of the slow cooker and spread it around with a spoon.
  • Add the sliced onions and peppers to the slow cooker.
  • Place the meatballs on top of the peppers and onions, starting from the outer edge of the cooker and working in a circle to the middle.
  • Top the meatballs with additional marinara sauce.
  • Cook on Low 6 to 8 hours, or High for 4 hours.
  • Give the meatballs a good stir before serving over pasta or bread. Top with additional Parmesan cheese to taste. Optional: Sprinkle fresh chopped thyme or basil over top the meatballs.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

    • Like it spicy? Swap the sweet Italian sausage for mild or hot Italian sausage.
    • Make your own marinara sauce? Use that instead of store-bought.
    • Want to use frozen meatballs? Swap that for homemade.
    • Use garden herbs to top these meatballs such as basil, thyme, oregano, marjoram, or rosemary.
    • You can also make your own marinara sauce right in the slow cooker along with the meatballs by using a 28 oz. can of whole or crushed tomatoes, a little olive oil, oregano and/or basil, and salt.
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