#3: SSS! (Slow-cooker Spaghetti Sauce)

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

Dear Tiffany,

The only rule about spaghetti sauce, according to my favorite crockpot blogger Stephanie O'Dhea (check her out at crockpot365.blogspot.com), is that there are no rules.  What does that mean?  That means that you can pretty much go with whatever canned tomato products you have in your kitchen, or what's on sale.  You can use most kinds of meat, and the veggies are flexible too.  This version is vegetarian, because I had an herbivore at the dinner table that night, but I served it with man-food meatballs for the rest of us.  I made this last week but didn't get around to finishing this post until now :/.

I feel so loved every time I get to use my new toy.  Did I tell you about the new slow cooker Joey, Esther and Jessica gave me?  The lid clips on and seals, so I can get to small group without spilling in the car.  You know me and my slow cookers, I love them, and since I don't have an oven I do everything crockpot style.  I love the feeling of not having to babysit my food all afternoon, and of coming home or getting out of a meeting to find dinner already done and ready to go.

Don't get intimidated by the ingredients list, most of them are canned, and you're just going to dump them in.  Easy-peasy.

The basics:

Prep time: about 10 minutes, then in the slow cooker all day

Good for leftovers: yes!  If you have too much, freeze some.

servings: ...a lot. 20 easily

cost: about $10-$15, depending on the cost of veggies and which are in season.  Hint: check online ahead of time to find out the sales, and find out what is in season.  Produce that is in season is going to be cheaper and taste better, and you don't have to choose the same veggies I did to have a great sauce.

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil or olive oil blend

3 tbs minced garlic

1 medium onion, chopped

asparagus, 7-9 spears, cut in 2-3 inch long sections

1 yellow squash, ends cut off, in 1/2 inch thick slices

1 zucchini, ends cut off, in 1/2 inch thick slices

1/4-1/2 cup sliced or chopped mushrooms

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (Italian style)

14.5 oz can peeled whole tomatoes

29 oz can tomato sauce

29 oz can tomato purree

italian seasoning (usually a blend of oregano, basil, rosemary, etc)

red pepper flakes

the process:

Place all ingredients in 5 or 6 quart slow cooker.  Add several shakes of italian seasoning and red pepper flakes (more red pepper = more spicy).   Stir it together, and cook on low all day, or on high for 4-5 hours.  Since there's no meat in this recipe, how long you cook depends on how "done" you want your veggies but they will be edible either way.  The longer you cook it, the more time the spices will have to be absorbed by the sauce and veggies.

If you want to add meat:

For ground beef or meatballs, cook them separately and add them at the end, so you don't keep all the fat in your food!  For lighter cuts of meat or for ground turkey, you can add it at the beginning, though you may need to scoop a little of the fat off later.  My preference is to cook your meat separately and add it, or even better, dump in your leftover chicken or steak or ground beef or whatever.  This time I made those great meatballs but kept them separate to keep a vegetarian version available.