I need a slow cooker expert for advice!!

I am trying to use my slow clooker more often to make life as a mom easier.  So far all of my attempts have been very successful, and I have loved coming home to a warm dinner and the house smelling all lovely.

EXCEPT...tonight I misread a recipe, and now I need help   I am making a slow cooker spaghetti sauce, which consists of:

4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
1/4 c. tomato paste
Browned extra lean ground beef (if desired)
1 T. minced garlic
1 t salt
1 t sugar
assorted spices to taste

I browned the beef and added it to the slowcooker, then mixed in everything else.  Apparently I missed the part where it says to add the beef at the very end, AFTER the 8 hours of cooking.

My question is:  Do you think it is still okay to cook it with the beef for that long, or will there not be enuogh moisture in there, so that it burns?  I have a can or already diced tomatoes with onions and peppers, should I add that too, just to give it a bit more liquid?  Not sure what to do, and don't want to waste all that meat, and the fresh tomatoes. 

Advice please (and thanks)!

 Man - I ALWAYS put the beef in and cook it all day.  Never knew you could do it another way.  I'd add a bit more liquid - I often put in a jar of salsa or a jar of Ragu or something.  Let it cook on low all day. YUMMY!

I just eat it with parm cheese (no noodles).  Delish.

Thanks for the advice, Erica.  I have done chicken, pork, and ham, but never beef.  It just looked a little dry since there were so few ingredients, but I will add some salsa.  That sounds yummy.  Probably, once the tomatoes stew down, it will be more liquidy. 

The meat will be okay.  You might want to add the extra can of diced tomatoes, it won't hurt anything.  Make sure that you have the cooker on low as the meat is already cooked.  On low it won't burn, it should be okay.  If it is too runny when you get home you can add some more tomato paste.  Since the lid is on, the moisture won't escape, your recipe sounds yummy.

Lu

Thanks.  I think I will add something else; either the salsa that Erica suggested, or the canned tomaotes, and I will definately keep that in mind about the paste to thicken it.

Word to the wise:  Do NOT put pasta into your sauce in the crock pot.  It makes all the starches seep out and makes your sauce thick and "starchy".

Definitely not.  Yuck.  I would think the pasta would get too soft anyways, wouldn't it?  I like my pasta aldente, so I wouldn't think of it.  I was going to have it ontop of some spaghetti squash.  Have you tried it?  It is yummy.

Delish.  Heck, I even eat sauce on it's own. lol

I am by no means an expert, but here is my opinion!

I would say its fine and not to worry, I brown my beef first and stick it in for 6-8 hours when making chili. If you feel there is not enough liquid, you can add some broth to it. I find that it does not usually need a ton of liquid so you should be fine.

Hope that helps

Lisi :)

Yes...very helpful.  Thanks :)