Spaghetti Sauce

Here is my favorite recipe for spaghetti sauce. It is adapted from Once-a-Month Cooking by Mimi Wilson & Mary Beth Lagerborg. I have added some things and changed it just a bit. This makes a large crock-pot full and it has a great flavor by using Italian sausage. It is also very frugal since there is only 1 lb. of meat and I often get tomato products free or nearly free. You can use it as spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, or a base for lasagna. My daughter likes this so much better than traditional spaghetti sauce made with ground beef.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 12 oz can tomato paste
3 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes in puree
2 cups water
4 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tsp dried basil leaves
2 tsp dried oregano leaves
4 tablespoons fresh parsley (I often substitute dried)
2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

In a skillet, cook and stir the sausage with onions and garlic until the meat is brown, drain fat. Add meat mixture and remaining ingredients to crock pot and cook on medium 8 hours or high 6 hours. Stir occasionally.

Here are a few pictures from my most recent batch of sauce. As you can see, I substituted diced tomatos for some of the crushed that the recipe called for. Use whatever you have on hand or is the best price. Just keep the ounces the same or close. I substituted two 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes for one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes.








I actually don't time this in the crock pot, I just let it go all day until it looks done. Use your own judgment.

I usually have this the first night as spaghetti and noodles and freeze the leftover sauce in containers the appropriate size for pizza sauce.

Try it and let me know what you think!