Hi folks. So I got sauced. I got sloshed. I got...oh who am I kidding I don't even drink. Yet I still managed to get sauced. Some really gorgeous red sauce. All over spaghetti noodles. Yup, I should get sauced more often. So fun, and oh so yummy.
I make red sauce, it's my fave. I love a good spaghetti sauce. I do it a gazillion different ways but this is the most consistent. For me consistency is tough. I have a habit of never making the same thing twice. I have to say the blog has been good for that aspect of my cooking style. I do not usually follow recipes. I typically just go in the kitchen and start grabbing stuff. So the blog has forced me to write things down and pay attention to measurements. That is great for me. Now when people ask me how to make something I don't get that "doh" look on my face.
This was done in my slow cooker. I love the slow cooker for sauces. It helps develop such a rich flavour. The sauce gets to simmer and the taste just gets better as the day goes by. I have to control my urge to keep adding more and more sugar though. I like a sweet sauce. It's a sickness. Sugaraholic over here. Need an intervention. I have to be careful with my salt so I suppose I tend to overcompensate with sugar. More of my ocd control issues I guess. It's all good though, as long as it tastes good I am happy. And we all know "if the mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy."
So if you'd like to get sauced too here is how you do it.
I promise I took the bay leaves out before eating it. Lol! I love me some bay leaves. I could just add them to everything. SO GOOD!
Ingredients
- 2 can whole peeled tomatoes 28 fluid oz/796 ml
- 1 to 1 ½ pounds ground beef
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons oregano
- 2 tablespoons basil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 3 to 4 cloves of fresh garlic pressed
- 2 tubes of beef stock I use the concentrated pouches by Savory Choice, use ½ to 1 cup if using liquid
- 2 small cans of tomato paste 5.5 fluid oz/156 ml
- 4 bay leaves
Instructions
- Brown your ground beef in a pan or skillet. You can rinse it if you like, I do not.
- Transfer the cooked ground beef to your slow cooker.
- I pop my tomatoes in a blender before adding them. I am not a tomato fan, chunks are not my thing so blending works for me. You do not need to if you like chunky sauce.
- Add those tomatoes whether you blended them or not. Just pour them over the meat in the slow cooker.
- Now add your sugar and stir it all up nicely.
- Now you can add all your spices. Feel free to use less or more of any of these. Cooking is personal so personalize it!!!
- Cut the ends off your garlic and peel 3 to 4 cloves (I used 4). Now take a garlic press and, well, press them. Toss that into your sauce.
- Now add your beef stock. Stir it in so it all mixes well.
- Add one can of paste after about 2 hours.
- Then add another can about an hour before the sauce is done.
- I cooked mine on low for about 5 hours. You can cook it for less or more. Just pay attention to it to make sure the sides aren’t getting burned or over-browned. Every crock pot is a bit different. So I suggest doing an hourly check after the 2 hour mark.
- Once it’s done you are ready to cook up some noodles of your choice to go with it. I chose spaghetti noodles this time.
- Make sure you remove your bay leaves before serving.
- Serve with a big old saucy smile!
I like mine with gobs and gobs of parmesan.
Not the prettiest pictures but what can I say. We were all starving and wanted to eat. Well let's be honest, I was starving and almost knocked down the entire family trying to get mine first. What? Like you've never done that. Pfft!
Toodles and smoochies! xx
Soni
Love Spaghetti with Red Sauce!Ultimate comfort meal!Thanks for your lovely comment on my blog.Following you as well 🙂
Kim Bee
@Soni- You are so welcome. Thanks for coming by. I always love having new readers pop in. I felt the need for warm comfort tonight after freezing my tush off at the barn.
Asian-spice mix
Great Homemade spagetti sauce the color are so perfect,,,looks mouthwatering !!
Ridwan
anne
I just finished eating mcnuggets 😛 😀 but still salivating over that pasta tsk tsk hahaha & I absolutely love it with gobs and gobs of cheese , too 😀
Tina
This does look like a great big warm Italian hug! Which is something I could use with this windy chilly weather. Yes, there are times when I do not dally around when it comes to eating and by the looks of that plate-there is no sense in delaying! Yum!
Lizzy
Oh, yeah, this looks sublime....wish I could teleport a batch right into my kitchen!!!
Kim Bee
@Ridwan- Thank you so much. I love making sauce.
@anne- The only way to eat it is with super gobs of parmesan.
@Tina- I think sometimes me and the family get a bit tired of cold food. There are days where styling a plate just isn't a priority. Usually when I skip lunch it seems. Lol!
@Lizzy- Where are Spock and Captain Kirk when you need them?
janet@fromcupcakestocaviar
Yum!! Love a good red sauce and yours looks great though I admit I prolly would have thrown about 14 more pounds of Italian sausage and ground beef into it. Yeah, I need that intervention too. Know what you mean about the sweet sauce. I hate when I eat it and it is really acidic; have to add a good amount of sugar.
Kim Bee
@Janet- I love sugary sauces. I tend to go too sweet though so have to watch myself. I also go really spicy. I have never done italian sausage in it before. I must try that.
Kiri W.
MMmm, that looks so lovely and thick! I really, really want a crock pot! I wish I had space in my tiny half kitchen... and well, more people to feed!
Greg
Looking through a slow cooker cookbook today and saw a recipe for this. I was thinking of doing the same thing today. Instead I stood outside in 40 degree weather and grilled a steak. I think pasta and sauce would have been better.
Jenny
"So the blog has forced me to write things down and pay attention to measurements."
Yeah...me too!
GREAT looking sauce!
Anne@frommysweetheart
Holy cow! That sauce looks so rich and beautiful! I've never made my own sauce, but my mother used to make it and simmer it all day. I would never leave the house on those days cuz I was afraid I'd miss dinner! And that you make this in the slow cooker is even better! Your recipe will be my first sauce! : )
Pegasuslegend
Deliciouso!
Stephanie @ Eat. Drink. Love.
Nothing is better than homemade sauce! SO much better than the bottled stuff! Yours looks delicious!
Valerie @ From Valerie's Kitchen
Chili powder hmmm??? I'm intrigued. Looks delish!
Ann
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing....I love a red sauce, too! I usually do mine without meat - so it's nice to have a good recipe that DOES have it for when I'm feeling wild!
Treat and Trick
Perfect and so delicious! Thanks so much for your sweet comment dear...
Baker Street
Looks super delicious! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Mr Bunny Chow
I completely understand where you're coming from here, I use recipes as an ingredient guide and idea's base but rarely follow what they actually tell me to do.
Cooking is instinctual to me but like you my blog is helping me to pay more attention and become more consistent in what I present to my family.
Keep up the great work
TTFN
Mr Bunny Chow