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| Slow Cooker Rustic Meat Spaghetti Sauce |
A truly hearty and rib-sticking spaghetti sauce packed with flavor and your slow cooker does all the work!
It’s been years since I made my own spaghetti sauce from scratch. I got very used to the convenience of the jar stuff–which really tastes very good nowadays.
I was cleaning my cupboard and found a couple of large cans of diced tomatoes. I really need the space so I wanted to use at least one. And since it’s been years since I made my own “gravy” (as the Italians call it), I figured why not? And especially since I wanted some after I saw my friend Laureen from Art &The Kitchen’s recipe for meat sauce on her site.
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| Delicious flavors |
When I tasted this, I really saw what I was missing with the jar! This tastes 1000% better! This is just my basic recipe that I always made–gotten from my mother, of course!
This was so good, I ate spaghetti with it two nights in a row. I seriously can’t get enough of this stuff!!
I made this one with ground beef only since I had some defrosted, but I generally prefer sausage or a combination of the two in a sauce. Sausage just adds that extra dimension of flavor.
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| Chunky and full-bodied |
This sauce is a bit on the sweeter side because I’m not into the more acidic-flavored ones, but if you are, then cut the brown sugar in half, or even leave it out.
Slow Cooker Rustic Meat Spaghetti Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 28 oz diced tomatoes
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 6 oz can 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar use 2 tbs if you like a more acidic sauce
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp – 2 tsp oregano
- 1/2-1 tsp basil
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 lb lean ground beef -OR- 1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage*
Instructions
- *A combination of the 2 is perfect
- Brown ground beef/sausage in a large skillet. Drain and add to a 3-4 qt slow cooker.
- Add the remaining ingredients; stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (times are approximate as all crock pots cook differently–if you use a larger volume cooker, sauce will be done faster, ~4-6 hours)
- Makes about 1 quart of sauce.
Nutrition
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| Slow Cooker Rustic Meat Spaghetti Sauce |
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Trish W says
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! Do you know if it is safe to can if I make a large batch? Thanks!
Judith Hanneman says
When I made large batches, I would pressure can it. But that’s been years now so if you’d like to get current info, check the USDA’s website or call your county home economist. They’d have that answer for you. If you have freezer space, that’d be the way I’d go with it nowadays. I’d do it in zipper bags then if I was ambitious LOL! once it froze I’d vacuum seal it.
Caitlin says
I made this today and it was one of the best spaghetti sauces I’ve had in a long time. My husband doesn’t like sweet pasta sauces at all, so I lowered the sugar to 1 1/2 tablespoons and it was so subtle of a sweetness that he didn’t detect it. I also used all Italian sausage as that is what was on hand. Add the fact that this is a slow cooker recipe, and this will definitely be a keeper in my house. Thank you!!
Judith Hanneman says
The beauty of this sauce is that if you prefer a sweeter sauce you can add the sugar actually when it’s plated! But using the sausage like you did actually does sweeten it up some. I usually make it with sausage myself, but had ground beef to use up 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed this!!!