Slow Cooked Spaghetti Sauce

This spaghetti sauce was part of my slow cooker week, and I have to tell you, it’s an all time favorite at our house!  This recipe can be easily  doubled, and it freezes beautifully making it a time saver for future meals.  What else can I say, but that it’s spaghettilicious!

Ingredients you’ll need:
2 1/2 lb extra lean ground beef
8 oz sweet or spicy Italian sausage
1 large sweet onion, finely diced
olive oil
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/2 Tbsp dry Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2-1 Tbsp coarse sea salt [more or less to your taste] 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 [24 oz]  jar  marinara sauce [i.e.Bertolli Five Cheese] 2 [8 oz] cans basil, garlic & oregano tomato sauce
1 [14.5 oz] can basil, garlic & oregano diced tomatoes
1 [6 oz] can basil, garlic & oregano tomato paste
3-4 Tbsp brown sugar [more or less to taste] 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
16 oz thin spaghetti, cooked to al dente

Directions:

While the meats are cooking, pour all of the remaining ingredients: the jar of marinara sauce, tomato sauce, tomatoes, tomato paste, and brown sugar into a 6 quart slow cooker. Add the cooked ground beef and sausage with the onion and seasonings to the slow cooker and give it a good stir to blend the ingredients together. Place the lid tightly on top, and set the slow cooker on low. Cook for 6-7 hours and I recommend giving it a stir midway through the cooking time, if possible. Just before serving mix in 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Serve over hot spaghetti. Yield: approximately 3 quarts

Cook’s note:
Don’t shy away from the brown sugar.  It neutralizes the acidic taste of the tomatoes and lends a richness to the sauce that makes it so delicious!  If you’d like to change it up a little, toss in 3/4 cup of pepperoni minis 2 hours before the sauce is finished cooking.  Kids always love a surprise ingredient!