Description

This Slow Cooker Parmesan Garlic Pizza Pasta is a comforting and easy one-pot meal combining the flavors of pepperoni, garlic, marinara sauce, and plenty of cheese. With minimal prep and a simple slow cooking process, it’s perfect for busy days or meal prepping. The hearty pasta bake melts cheese right in the slow cooker, delivering a rich and flavorful dinner your whole family will love.

Ingredients

Scale

Meat and Seasonings

1 lb lean ground beef (uncooked)
1 cup sliced pepperoni
1 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 Tbsp garlic bread seasoning

Liquids and Sauces

4 cups marinara or pasta sauce
3 cups water

Cheeses

1 (8-oz) package shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

Pasta

1 (16-oz) box uncooked rotini or other short cut pasta

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Instructions

Prepare and Freeze Ingredients: In a gallon size ziplock freezer bag, combine the ground beef, sliced pepperoni, dried minced onion flakes, garlic bread seasoning, marinara sauce, water, and half of the shredded mozzarella cheese. In a separate sandwich size freezer bag, place the remaining mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Seal both bags and freeze until ready to cook.
Thaw Cheeses: When you’re ready to cook, remove the sandwich size freezer bag with mozzarella and parmesan cheese from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to thaw while you prepare the slow cooker.
Cook Meat Mixture: Empty the contents of the gallon size freezer bag into the slow cooker. Set the slow cooker to LOW heat and cook for 6 hours. Occasionally, use a spatula to break up the ground beef to ensure even cooking and mixture consistency.
Add Pasta: After 6 hours, add the uncooked rotini pasta directly into the slow cooker. Stir well to combine everything evenly and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and cooked through.
Add Cheese and Melt: Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the pasta. Cover the slow cooker and let it sit for about 5 minutes until the cheese melts and becomes gooey.

Notes

You can customize this recipe by substituting pepperoni with sausage or omitting meat for a vegetarian option.
Use gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free version, but verify sauce ingredients accordingly.
To speed up cooking, use the HIGH heat setting on the slow cooker and reduce cooking times, but monitor closely to avoid overcooking pasta.
This dish reheats well and makes great leftovers for next-day meals.
For extra flavor, garnish with fresh basil or parsley before serving.