Slow Cooker Meatballs and Sauce

Meatballs
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1 pound pork Italian sausage
1 tsp. salt
1 medium onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch parsley
2 sprigs basil
2 tsp. red pepper
Several dashes of hot sauce (Tabasco, Frank’s, etc.)
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup skim milk
¼ cup parmesan cheese
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tsp. pepper
Sauce
2 (large) cans crushed tomatoes
1 or 2 (small) cans of diced tomatoes
4 Tbsp. butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Goes great with pasta or as a meatball sub.
If preparing pasta with this dish be sure to add plenty of salt to the water. This gives the noodles more flavor.

1. Put diced and crushed tomatoes, butter, salt and pepper into crock pot on low
2. Pick parsley and basil leaves from stem
3. Blend parsley, basil, onion and garlic in food processor or mince by hand
4. Sautee herb mixture in olive oil until onions become glossy then split in two equal portions.
5. Stir one portion of herb mixture into tomato sauce
6. Place the meat into a mixing bowl, and season with salt, onion, garlic salt, red pepper flakes, hot pepper sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and one portion of herb mixture; mix well. Add the milk, Parmesan cheese, and bread crumbs. Mix until evenly blended, then form into 1 1/2-inch meatballs.
7. Gently place meatballs into sauce and let them cook through.

Serving Size: makes about 12 servings of 2 meatballs and 1/2 cup sauce

Number of Servings: 12

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user JOHND65.