Oh So Slow Cooked Spaghetti Sauce

The house smells so good right now.

The kids requested spaghetti, and I didn't have any sauce in the house, so I decided to make my own. I happened to have a giant can (102 oz.) of diced tomatoes on hand so I decided to make a triple batch. In the summer when my tomato plants are producing, I like to freeze them for use in the cooler weather months. Here's the recipe I sort of followed, in single-batch quantities. This is a great recipe to double (or triple), and freeze.

Oh So Slow Cooked Spaghetti Sauce

1 to 1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (could use a combination of beef & Italian sausage)

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp. minced garlic (like a heaping tablespoon!)

3 (14.5 ounce) cans petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

1½ tsp. oregano

½ tsp. basil (or use 1 tbsp.-ish of fresh if you have it - 1 tbsp. fresh generally = 1 tsp. dried)
½ tsp. parsley (use fresh flat leaf if you have it - 1 tbsp. fresh generally = 1 tsp. dried)

3 whole bay leaves

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
brown sugar, to taste (I used a heaping tablespoon, but we don't do too sweet)

salt, to taste (check how much sodium is in the tomatoes you're using)

In a large skillet, cook the meat and onions until the meat is brown and the onions are tender. Add the minced garlic near the end of this step to prevent it from burning. Drain off the fat. Place meat mixture and all other ingredients into a large crock pot. Cook on high for at least 5-6 hours, or low for 10-12 hours, stirring occasionally. Season to taste before serving over your favorite pasta noodles.

Layered Mexican Trifle Salad

So this is awesome. It's a lot of work, but it is awesome. Feeds a crowd, looks cool, tastes great. What more can you ask for? I first had this at a party, and then tracked down the recipe - I believe it was originally from Pampered Chef. You can mix it up, but I really like this combo. It's easy to double or whatever is needed, based on the serving dish. The one pictured was MASSIVE, and was basically a triple batch - so much work, and at the last minute! Layered Mexican Trifle Salad I ngredients: Beans: drain, rinse and mix together 1 15 oz. can pinto beans and 1 15 oz. can black beans 1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained (I've also used fresh) 1 large tomato, diced (I usually use several Roma tomatoes) 2 green bell peppers, diced 3 ripe avocadoes, diced and mashed with the juice of 1 lime and salt and pepper to taste 1 large onion, diced (red or white) 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded 2 cups cheddar or...

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Asian-Inspired Slaw

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A Cooking Baker

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