Slow Cooker Mediterranean Meatball Ratatouille

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Meatball Ratatouille is an easy to prepare dish that combines sausage meatballs with the Mediterranean flavors of eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, tomato, onion, garlic and basil.

this Recipe

My cousin Barb Keller, whom I refer to as the queen of the crockpot, was nice enough to share this delicious recipe for Slow Cooker Mediterranean Meatball Ratatouille with me. She makes amazing dishes in her crockpot, and this is one of them.

Italian sausage meatballs slowly cook for several hours in a earthy and savory stew of mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, onion and garlic. Tomatoes, tomato paste, lemon juice and basil are then added close to the end. I love this dish because it’s different from – and has more depth of flavor than – the more traditional Italian dish of meatballs in a marinara sauce.

People of all ages love this dish! I like to serve it over cooked orzo with a tossed salad on the side.

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Note: if you’re not a red meat eater, you can make this dish with Italian turkey sausage, and it’s just as delicious! And, if you are making it in an Instant Pot, see directions in the Notes section below for adjustments.

Slow Cooker Mediterranean Meatball Ratatouille

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A hearty, easy to prepare slow cooker dish that combines Italian sausage meatballs with Mediterranean flavors of eggplant, mushrooms, zucchini, tomato, onion, garlic and basil.

• Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

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• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 pound mild Italian sausage (pork or turkey), casings removed
• 8 ounces sliced baby portabella (cremini) mushrooms
• 1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic or 1 teaspoon chopped shallot
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped (see Note)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• Cooked orzo or rice

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Instructions

1. In a slow cooker, pour 1 tablespoon oil into the bottom. Shape sausage into 1-inch balls and place on wax paper (makes around 30 meatballs).
2. Place half of the meatballs into the pot. Add half the mushrooms, eggplant and zucchini. Add all of the onion and garlic (or shallot), 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. Layer the remaining ingredients on top, in the same order: meatballs, mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, oregano, salt and pepper.
4. Drizzle remaining 1 tablespoon oil over the top. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.
5. Uncover and stir in tomato paste and diced tomatoes. Cover and cook on low for about 15 minutes.
6. Stir in basil and lemon juice. Serve with cooked orzo or rice.

Notes

Gluten free: Serve with rice or gluten free orzo.

Variation when using an Instant Pot: Cook on medium (or normal) slow cook setting instead of low, and use an Instant Pot tempered glass lid, or a regular saucepan lid instead of the tight fitting lid used for pressure cooking. No need to add more liquid (often required for Instant Pot slow cooking), as the ingredients in this dish naturally produce plenty!

Note on tomatoes: When tomatoes aren’t in season, substitute 1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained.

Note on nutritional information: Pasta is not included in the calculation.

• Author: From “Fresh Tastes” by Lee Clayton Roper
• Category: make ahead, slow cooker, main dish, easy entertaining, meats
• Method: Slow Cooker
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 334
• Sugar: 3.9 g
• Sodium: 949.8 mg
• Fat: 28.7 g
• Saturated Fat: 9.3 g
• Carbohydrates: 7.3 g
• Fiber: 2.1 g
• Protein: 12.7 g
• Cholesterol: 57.5 mg