We moved about 6 weeks ago, and are still not unpacked. We are ripping up some flooring, so I’m still swimming in boxes. I can’t find sheets for my dehydrator, which is extremely inconvenient since I just bought 50 pounds of butternut squash. It was 26 cents a pound. Couldn’t turn that down. But now I’m wanting to make butternut squash powder, and cannot find those sheets for making leather, which I grind up into powder. I’m never moving again.
Because everything has been in such disarray, I’m relying more on my slow cooker. My absolute favorite slow cooker meal is meatballs and sauce. I quickly oven-brown the meatballs first, for food safety reasons. 
Browned meat gives slow cooked dishes more flavor as well. (Putting fully-cooked meatballs in the sauce won’t give this dish the same flavor.) I often put these meatballs together the night before, and brown them in the morning as I’m putting together the sauce. These meatballs are cooked to perfection, and melt in your mouth. Freeze leftover meatballs, and make for subs on a busy night.
Slow Cooker Meatballs and Sauce
Meatballs
2 pounds lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons of dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/4 cup onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 egg
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Preheat oven to 375. Mix all the ingredients. Roll into large meatballs. (Out of 2 pounds I always get 13 meatballs) Either coat cookie sheet with cooking spray, or line with tin foil. Bake meatballs just until brown. Do not cook through.
Sauce
2 28 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes
6 large garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup minced onion
1 can (6 oz) can of tomato paste
1 tbsp. of olive oil
2 tsp. of sugar
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. dried basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Add all ingredients and stir. Place browned meatballs in sauce. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, and serve over spaghetti.
Thanks, looks delicious and will try this soon!