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Creamy tomato orzo with meatballs and greens in a slow cooker, with a wooden spoon resting in the dish.
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Crockpot Marinara Meatballs and Orzo

Crockpot meatballs and orzo that tastes like adult SpaghettiOs. Frozen meatballs cook in marinara all day, then orzo and kale go in for the last 20 minutes for an easy weeknight meal!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours 15 minutes
Total Time4 hours 25 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: crockpot meatballs and orzo, slow cooker meatballs and orz
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 462kcal
Author: Ansley Beutler

Equipment

1 crockpot

Ingredients

  • 24 oz frozen meatballs I used Amylu basil chicken meatballs
  • 24 oz marinara sauce (I used Rao's)
  • 3 cups broth divided, plus more as needed
  • 2 cups orzo regular or gluten-free (I used gluten-free)
  • 1 cup kale or spinach, chopped
  • parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions

  • Add the frozen meatballs and marinara sauce to the crockpot. Pour 1 cup of the broth into the empty marinara jar, put the lid on, and shake to get the rest of the sauce off the sides. Pour it into the crockpot and stir.
    24 oz frozen meatballs, 24 oz marinara sauce, 3 cups broth
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 4 - 6 hours or HIGH for 2 - 3 hours.
  • Add the orzo, kale, and remaining 2 cups broth. Give everything a big stir so the orzo is well coated in liquid.
    2 cups orzo, 1 cup kale
  • Cover and cook on LOW for 15 - 20 minutes (switch to LOW if you cooked on HIGH), until the orzo is tender and has soaked up most of the liquid.
  • For a soupier consistency, stir in more broth a little at a time.
  • Serve in bowls, topped with parmesan if you like.
    parmesan cheese

Notes

Meatballs: any kind works. Refrigerated meatballs will need a shorter cook time than frozen.
Orzo: regular and gluten-free orzo take the same amount of time.
Vegetables: swap the kale for spinach, peas, or broccoli.
Gluten-free: use gluten-free orzo and check the labels on your meatballs, marinara, and broth.
Dairy-free: skip the parmesan and check the label on your meatballs.

Nutrition

Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1552mg | Potassium: 460mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1091IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 4mg