lellow jello: we gets the spaghetts

spaghetti sauce. can it be considered a comfort food? i think it's one of my ultimate "feels like home" meals. and in a slow cooker, it's just so gosh darn easy. have i mentioned how much i love my slow cooker? oh, not in this post?

i like to blend up a bunch of veggies to cook into the sauce. so now the fam is eating a veggie packed meal, and they don't even know it! yes. i'm sneaky. and i like it! i started to sautee the ingredients in the morning before work, and my mister came out of the bedroom nearly drooling over the smell. i just love that feeling. of course, for a vegetarian option, just omit the beef and sausage and voila! a delicious marinara.

please be warned...this recipe makes a. lot. i think i froze at least 6 cups of sauce...maybe half of the batch? i'm a non-traditionalist when it comes to the pasta, so i used farfalle. it might be a texture thing, but i won't admit to it. i'll just go with it's easier to eat...no fork twirling required! that's my story, and i'm sticking to it.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb ground beef

1 lb italian sausage (casings removed)

1 tbs evoo

1 med onion diced

1 each carrot, zucchini, celery stalk - minced in the food processor

1 tbs minced garlic2 - 28oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 - 6 oz can tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 tbs dried basil

1/2 tbs dried oregano

1 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Salt & pepper to taste

brown the beef and italian sausage in a pan (i used the insert from my slow cooker, which is stove top safe...yay for less dishes). set meat aside.

heat evoo in the pan, and saute the onion, garlic, and veggies until onions start to become translucent and fragrant.

add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, bay leaves, basil, oregano, and freshly cracked pepper. stir well to combine

(add to the slow cooker at this point to make a marinara)

add the meat and combine. if your slow cooker tends to lose moisture and dry things out, add 1/2 to 1 cup of water as well. my cooker has a good seal, so no extra water was needed. cover your slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hrs.