Last Updated on 17 December 2023 by cooksimply
Who doesn’t love bolognese? It’s a great dish that can be served classically with spaghetti and is a firm favourite in our household. However, what if you could also make it without any fuss or prep? Well, you really can with this slow cook bolognese. There’s no browning of meat or sauteing the onions. You throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker and let it do all the hard work.
How to make this slow cooker bolognese?
The point of slow cooker recipes is that they’re effortless and that you hardly have to lift a finger. And this slow cooker bolognese no browning beef recipe is exactly that. The hardest part of this is chopping the onions and carrots – however, sometimes I put these through a food processor – as my kids are more prone to eating vegetables when they’re not seen!
Throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker pot, give it all a good stir, cover, and cook on low for six hours. You’ll have a delicious meal that’s ready to serve.
What do I need for this slow cooker bolognese?
Many families have their own versions of bolognese – and this is mine. I like to use carrots as it adds an extra layer of sweetness. I also like to add pancetta and wine. If you have a bolognese recipe that you are used to then it will work just as well here too. For instance, some people like to use celery. Others prefer adding more herbs and tomato puree. For my slow cooker bolognese sauce you’ll need:
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Beef mince
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carrots
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onion
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2 x tinned tomatoes
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pancetta cubes
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red wine
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dried mixed herbs
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bay leaves
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beef stock cube
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black pepper
How to make this a gnocchi bolognese bake
To go one step further and turn this bolognese into a full and complete meal, I sometimes like to make this a gnocchi bolognese. And again, it’s simple to do. Around 15 minutes before you want to serve dinner, add the gnocchi – I use supermarket fresh gnocchi – and make sure the gnocchi is combined with the sauce. Then for added richness add a few handfuls of cheddar cheese. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes – and then serve.
What about a crispy topping?
If you’d prefer a crispy cheesy topping, then transfer the gnocchi bolognese to an ovenproof dish before adding the cheddar cheese. Then bake in the oven at 180c for around 15 minutes until the top is bubbling and golden brown.
Can you add uncooked pasta to this slow cook bolognese?
You can. I have experimented with uncooked pasta including penne and fusilli – and they have both worked, too. Although I would suggest rinsing the uncooked pasta with boiling water to remove the starch. The pasta takes around an hour on low or 35 minutes on high. You will need to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t turn too mushy – and give it a stir a couple of times.
What else can be served with bolognese?
This bolognese is really versatile. The obvious choice would be spaghetti, with lots of parmesan on top. You can also use this sauce for your meat base in lasagne. Or serve it on jacket potatoes. Real comfort for at its best.
Can I freeze the bolognese?
Yes, absolutely. This recipe is great for batch cooking. The amounts here could easily feed up to eight people and freezing the bolognese will give you another meal at another time. Add the slow cooker bolognese to a suitable container and you can freeze it for up to three months.
Other slow cooker recipes you might like
Slow cooker beef and chorizo
Slow cooker Chinese chicken curry
Slow cooker Thai massaman curry
Slow cooker ham joint in coke
Delicious slow cooker bolognese
Ingredients
- 500 g steak mince
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 130 g smoked pancetta
- 2 carrots finely chopped
- 2x 400g tinned tomatoes
- 150 ml red wine
- 1 beef stock pot
- 1 tbsp mixed herbs
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Optional ingredients
- 800 g gnocchi
- 120 g grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker – the onion, garlic, carrots, beef mince, mixed herbs, pepper, pancetta, beef stock pot/cube, bay leaves, tinned tomatoes and red wine.
- Give all the ingredients a good stir. Then cook on low for six hours.
- When you're ready to serve give it another good stir. You can spoon over cooked spaghetti or pasta of your choice. Use it as a lasagne filling, or in jacket potatoes.
For gnocchi bolognese
- For the gnocchi bake – add the uncooked gnocchi to the bolognese around 15-20 minutes before you want to serve. Combine the gnocchi well with the meat sauce. Then sprinkle cheese over the top. Leave to cook until you’re ready to eat.
Nutrition
Did you make this slow cooker bolognese?
If you made this recipe for slow cooker gnocchi bolognese, please leave me some star ratings and a comment below or tag @cooksimplyathome on Instagram. You can find other recipe ideas here.
Do you cook gnocchi first before baking
No need, you can add the gnocchi to the slow cooker without cooking first.