Slow Cooker Creamy Alfredo Meatballs

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Prep Time:10

Cook Time:5

Total Time:5 10

Ingredients

32 oz frozen homestyle meatballs
4 tbsp unsalted butter sliced
4 cloves garlic minced
1 ½ cups chicken broth
8 oz cream cheese softened and cubed
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp black pepper
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups Parmesan cheese freshly grated
2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Parmesan cheese additional, for serving

Instructions

Step 1: Add the Meatballs - Place the frozen homestyle meatballs directly into a 6 quart slow cooker. There is no need to thaw them first, which is one of the reasons I like keeping a bag of meatballs tucked in the freezer for nights when the dinner plan never quite happened. Spread them into an even layer as much as you can so the sauce can work its way around them while everything cooks.
Step 2: Add the Butter and Garlic - Arrange the sliced butter over the frozen meatballs, then sprinkle the minced garlic evenly across the top. As the slow cooker warms, the butter will melt down around the meatballs and carry that garlic into the sauce. You do not need to stir yet. Just distribute everything fairly evenly and let the slow cooker take it from there.
Step 3: Mix the Cream Cheese Sauce - In a bowl, whisk the softened cream cheese with the chicken broth until the mixture is as smooth as you can get it. A few small cream cheese pieces are completely fine because they will soften as they cook. Stir in the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. Pour this mixture evenly over the meatballs, making sure some of it reaches down between them.
Step 4: Let the Meatballs Cook - Cover the slow cooker and cook the meatballs on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or on HIGH for 2 to 3 hours. If you happen to walk through the kitchen and remember, give everything a gentle stir once or twice. If you are busy and forget, do not worry about it. The meatballs will continue cooking and the cream cheese will gradually soften into the broth.
Step 5: Stir the Sauce Smooth - About 30 minutes before you plan to serve dinner, remove the lid and give the sauce a thorough but gentle stir. By now the cream cheese should be very soft, and stirring helps pull the butter, broth, cream cheese, garlic, and seasonings together. Do not panic if it looked a little uneven earlier in the cooking process. This is the point where the sauce starts looking much more like the creamy Alfredo you were expecting.
Step 6: Add the Heavy Cream - Pour in the heavy cream and gently stir until it is incorporated throughout the sauce. Adding the cream toward the end protects its smooth texture and keeps it from spending hours exposed to heat. The sauce should already smell buttery and garlicky, and the cream will make it look noticeably silkier almost immediately.
Step 7: Melt in the Parmesan - Add the freshly grated Parmesan a handful at a time, stirring gently after each addition. Give each handful a chance to melt before adding the next. This takes a few extra minutes, but it helps you get a smoother sauce rather than one big clump of cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan really matters here because packaged shredded cheese often contains ingredients that keep the shreds separate in the bag, which can also keep them from melting smoothly.
Step 8: Finish the Alfredo Sauce - Cover the slow cooker again and cook on LOW for another 15 to 20 minutes. You are only trying to warm the cream and finish melting the cheese, so there is no need for a long final cooking time. When you open the lid, the sauce should look hot, creamy, and thick enough to cling to each meatball.
Step 9: Coat and Serve - Give the meatballs one final gentle stir so every one gets covered in the Alfredo sauce. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top and finish with additional Parmesan. Spoon the meatballs and plenty of sauce over pasta, potatoes, rice, or whatever sounds good that night. Make sure you get some sauce onto every plate because that is the part everybody will be scraping up at the end.

Notes

Substitutions

Italian style meatballs: You can use Italian style frozen meatballs instead of homestyle meatballs if you enjoy a stronger herb and garlic flavor.
Half and half: Half and half can replace the heavy cream, though the finished Alfredo sauce will be a little lighter and less rich.
Romano cheese: Replace some of the Parmesan with Romano if you want a sharper, saltier cheese flavor.
Vegetable broth: Vegetable broth works in place of chicken broth and keeps the sauce mild.
Beef broth: Beef broth can also be used and will give the sauce a deeper savory flavor.
Neufchâtel cheese: Neufchâtel can replace regular cream cheese if you would like a slightly lighter sauce.

Variations

Chicken Alfredo Meatballs: Use frozen chicken meatballs in place of beef meatballs for a fun dinner that brings chicken Alfredo flavors into meatball form.
Spinach Alfredo Meatballs: Stir in 2 cups of chopped fresh spinach with the Parmesan and let it cook until the leaves are soft and wilted.
Bacon Alfredo Meatballs: Fold in 6 slices of cooked crumbled bacon just before serving, then scatter a little more over the top.
Cajun Alfredo Meatballs: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning with the other seasonings for a little heat against the cool creamy sauce.
Alfredo Meatball Pasta: Cook 12 to 16 ounces of fettuccine, linguine, or penne separately and toss the cooked pasta into the finished meatballs and sauce right before serving.

Tips and Tricks

Choose homestyle meatballs when possible: Their milder seasoning lets the garlic and Parmesan Alfredo sauce be the main flavor of the dish.
Keep the meatballs frozen: There is no need to thaw them, so you can take the bag straight from the freezer to the slow cooker.
Grate your own Parmesan: Freshly grated cheese melts into the warm cream much more smoothly and gives the sauce a softer texture.
Add dairy near the end: Heavy cream and Parmesan do better with gentle heat for a shorter amount of time, which helps keep the sauce from separating.
Soften the cream cheese: Softened cream cheese is much easier to whisk with the broth and will melt into the sauce more evenly.
Do not worry about the early appearance: The sauce may look uneven during the first part of cooking, but it comes together once everything is stirred and the final dairy ingredients are added.
Wait before adding salt: Frozen meatballs, broth, and Parmesan can all bring plenty of salt, so taste the finished sauce first.
Thin a thick sauce gently: Stir in a small splash of warm chicken broth or heavy cream until the sauce reaches the consistency you like.
Thicken a loose sauce: Leave the slow cooker uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes before serving and let some of the moisture escape.
Stir gently: Once the meatballs are hot and tender, use a light hand so they stay intact while you coat them in sauce.

Serving Ideas

Fettuccine: Spoon the meatballs and plenty of creamy sauce over hot fettuccine for the closest thing to a classic Alfredo dinner.
Egg noodles: Wide egg noodles catch the sauce beautifully and are usually an easy sell with kids.
Mashed potatoes: Creamy potatoes underneath the garlicky Parmesan sauce make this an especially cozy cold weather dinner.
Steamed rice: Rice is simple, inexpensive, and excellent for soaking up every spoonful of sauce.
Garlic bread: A warm piece of garlic bread gives you something to swipe through whatever Alfredo sauce is left on the plate.
Roasted broccoli: Broccoli adds some color and a fresh bite that balances the richness of the meatballs.
Green beans: Simple green beans make an easy vegetable side without competing with the creamy sauce.
Side salad: A crisp salad with a bright vinaigrette can cut through the richness and make the whole plate feel a little lighter.

Storage and Make Ahead Tips

Refrigerate leftovers promptly: Transfer cooled meatballs and Alfredo sauce to an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Expect the sauce to thicken: The Alfredo sauce becomes considerably thicker once chilled because of the cream cheese and Parmesan.
Add liquid when reheating: Stir in a splash of heavy cream, milk, or chicken broth before warming leftovers to bring back that creamy consistency.
Use gentle stovetop heat: Warm leftovers over LOW heat, stirring regularly so the dairy sauce does not get too hot or separate.
Microwave in short intervals: Reheat individual portions for short periods and stir between each one to warm the sauce evenly.
Avoid boiling the sauce: High heat can make the dairy and Parmesan separate, so slow and gentle reheating gives you a much better texture.
Skip freezing the finished sauce: Cream based Parmesan sauces can turn grainy after freezing and thawing, so I prefer making enough to enjoy from the refrigerator over the next few days.
Prepare ingredients ahead: You can mince the garlic, cube the cream cheese, grate the Parmesan, and chop the parsley ahead of time so loading and finishing the slow cooker takes only a few minutes.

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Servings: servings