Spaghetti sauce is just one of those things that you have to make from scratch. I mean…I guess you don’t HAVE to, but it’s just so dang easy to do! It’s not like making pizza dough from scratch, where you have to knead it for several minutes, let it rest, roll it out, etc…(though I do love making pizza dough ❤️??).
With spaghetti sauce, you just throw a few ingredients together and let it simmer away for a bit. It’s easy, cheaper than store bought, and you know what ingredients you put into it – no scary preservatives and chemicals that you find loaded into the store bought varieties.
The only time I ever don’t make my own sauce sauce is when I am making a dish that is complicated enough to begin with, and I feel like I don’t want to take the extra step of making my own sauce…things like homemade pizza, lasagna, baked ziti, etc…But honestly, even in those situations I usually take the extra thirty minutes and throw together a sauce.
If you go to your grandma’s house (especially if you’re Italian), I’m sure she has some intense recipe that simmers over the stove top with veal bones and a jar of her ancestor’s tears, but you can make a super delicious version at home in no time! Sorry if I just insulted you, grandmas…but put away your veal bones and tears for a hot second and just HEAR ME OUT!
The thing that makes sauces and soups the bomb.com is when you simmer them for a while, right? Well, say hello to my friend Mr. Crock Pot. His main job is simmering stuff all day long. Why in the world wouldn’t a spaghetti sauce that’s been simmering away for several hours in the Crock Pot be knock-your-socks-off-awesome?? I’m tellin’ ya…it’s the way to go.
And once this spaghetti sauce is done, you can use it right away in whatever recipe you want, or you can keep it in your freezer for whenever you need some good ol’ spaghetti sauce. If you are making lasagna, baked ziti, meatball subs, etc…skip the store bought jar, and thaw a tupperware of this goodness from your freezer!
We ended up using this to make baked ziti, and it was quite delicious ?.
Do you want to know my fall fails yesterday?? There were two, and they were large. First, I have a confession that makes me sad. I still have not decorated the front of my house for fall. No hay-bales, no cute little signs, NO PUMPKINS. I’m a fraud. I’ve just been so busy with teaching, volleyball, and blogging. But yesterday when we were on the way home from church, I was like…this is happening.
We drove over to Hobby Lobby, were all prepped and ready to buy some major fall awesomeness, drove past the front of the store, and there was no one in the parking lot. We checked the front door, and Hobby Lobby is closed on Sundays. HOW DARE THEM LET THEIR EMPLOYEES OFF SO THEY CAN SPEND SUNDAYS WITH THEIR FAMILIES. So rude. Just kidding about the families…but I was legit super disappointed.
So then we drove home, I cooked for the blog, blah, blah, blah. Later that evening, I was having a craving for our house to be filled with the delicious smell of fall. And by this, I mean I had a raging need for Bath and Body Works Candles…Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin…Marshmallow Pumpkin Latte…Pumpkin Pecan Waffles…the list goes on and on. So Seth and I (serious props to Seth here for putting up with my clearly spontaneous fall day) got in the car and drove over to Bath and Body Works. When we were about half way there, we decided it would proooobably be a good idea to check and see if they were still open. NOPE. Closed.
So then Seth suggested Pier One since we were already out (Pier One = one of my many happy places…so I obviously agreed). We made our way over to Pier One, and while we were driving there, I checked their Sunday hours. They closed four minutes ago. HALP.
So we ended up going to Target…I absolutely love Target for almost every thing in the entire world, but their candle section isn’t my fave by a long shot. It doesn’t even TOUCH Bath and Body Works’ selection.
We did end up getting a few mediocre candles from Target, but needless to say, it was a disappointing day for the fall lover inside of me.
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- In a large saute pan over medium high heat with a little olive oil, brown your ground beef and Italian sausage and season with 1 teaspoon salt and a bit of pepper
- When the meat is almost done browning, add your onions and cook for the remaining few minutes
- Add this mixture to your Crock Pot along with your garlic, crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and Italian seasoning - season with salt and pepper
- Stir to combine and cook on low for 4 hours (you can keep it in for longer if you would like)
- When the sauce is done cooking, remove lid, stir in sugar, and season to taste with salt and pepper
Nutrition info is for a 1 cup serving.
If you make this or any of my other recipes, be sure to Instagram it and hashtag #thegarlicdiaries!
In the mood for more Crock Pot greatness? Check these out:
Overnight Slow Cooker Apple Butter
sounds really tasty! I’ll have to try it sometime!
Thanks, Michael!
I love making my own sauce, but have never tried it in a crock pot! Totally have to do that. Sorry about your fall fails.. as soon as I read “going to hobby lobby after church” I was like ohhh I know where this is going! Lol. Every time I get a craving for chick-fil-a it’s on a Sunday and it’s devastating when I remember they are closed on Sundays! #firstworldproblems …. I hope you get your fall decorations soon!
Keri @ Fashionable Foods recently posted…Apple Glazed Pork Tenderloin and Carrots {with Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes}
GAHHH agreed on the Chick-fil-a…it seems like the only time my stomach decides it wants Chick-fil-a is on Sundays…it wants what it can’t have haha! Hardcore #firstworldproblems for sure ?. Thanks, Keri!
OMGosh! Girl, this looks delicious!! I can think of about a million ways to enjoy this!
Thanks, Holly!
I love making my own sauces too! It is so simple and I always like what I make more than whatever is in a jar! Plus, with this you can make a bunch at once and use it up for weeks later!
Agreed, Shelby! It’s so much better than jarred :).