The Pioneer Woman's Spaghetti Sauce

Hi, Sarah here.  Yep, still alive, just terrible at blogging.  Okay, so lately I have been wanting to cook some things that I can freeze and prepare quickly on busy days, and lets face it, with 3 kids, a husband, church responsibilities, etc., most days are busy.  Spaghetti is a staple at our house, it's quick, easy and cheap. 

 I have made homemade sauces before, and they were okay. Just okay.  Nothing great.  So, I started searching for something better, and came across this recipe.  If you are familiar with The Pioneer Woman, you know that she makes delicious stuff, and this one looked simple enough and I had most of the ingredients on hand, even the parmesan rind. And guess what?  It's really good!  REALLY good!

 One thing I did change,  I used less meat.  I used 4 lbs. instead of 5 and the sauce is still plenty meaty( I'm going with 3.5 lbs next time).  And I love the addition of a jar of store bought sauce, I think it helped it not be too acidic, like some homemade sauces can be. Oh wait, I also used beef broth instead of wine.

I cooked it up, and portioned it into freezer bags with enough in each bag for one meal for my family of five (well, one kid won't eat anything with tomatoes, so four really), about 2 1/2 cups per bag. This recipe made enough that we can get 7 meals out of it, pretty good if you ask me!  I stacked them on top of each other in the freezer so they would freeze flat and take up less space and defrost quicker. Now all I have to do is defrost and warm the sauce, boil some pasta, and warm up some canned green beans.  Done! 

 I was thinking this would be great to make and have on hand for right after you have a baby and cooking real food is still on the bottom of your to-do list (Emilee!!!  You'll thank me later if you do this!)

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Ground Beef (I Used Ground Round)
• 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 whole Large Yellow Onions, Diced
• 2 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Diced
• 6 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 cup White Wine (or Low Sodium Beef Broth If You Prefer)
• 2 cans 28 Ounce Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 can (14 Ounce) Crushed Tomatoes
• 1 can (small, 4-ounce) Tomato Paste
• 1 jar Good Storebought Marinara Sauce (can Use Another Jar If You Like The Sauce To Be More Saucy Than Meaty)
• 1 teaspoon Ground Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 4 whole Bay Leaves
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper (optional)
• 1/4 cup Finely Minced Fresh Parsley (or 3 Tablespoons Parsley Flakes), More To Taste
• 1 whole Rind From One Wedge Parmesan (optional)
• 1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• 2 pounds Spaghetti, Cooked Al Dente And Tossed With Olive Oil
•  Extra Minced Parsley, For Serving
•  Extra Parmesan Cheese, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

IMPORTANT: This recipe can easily be halved! I just like to make a ton so I can freeze it.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef until totally browned. Remove meat from pot with a slotted spoon and put into a bowl. Set aside.

Discard any grease in pot, but do not clean the pot. Drizzle in olive oil. When it is heated, throw in the diced onion and diced bell pepper. Stir it around for 1 1/2 minutes, then add the garlic. Stir and cook for an additional minute.

Pour in the wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, and marinara sauce. Stir to combine, then add oregano, thyme, sugar, salt, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper (if using). Stir, then add cooked ground beef and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or some low-sodium broth if it needs more liquid

After an hour, add the minced parsley and the rind from a wedge of Parmesan (or grated Parmesan if you prefer--or both!) Stir to combine, then put the lid back on and allow it to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Discard bay leaves before serving.