Want to make your family think you’re gonna have your own show on the Cooking Channel? Make your own spaghetti sauce, baby!

{yeah. that will do it.}

Here’s THE BASIC recipe:
serves 10

Ingredients:

• 4 cans tomato sauce (I like Kirkland’s organic)
• 3 cans diced tomatoes (drain the liquid before adding)
• 2 lbs ground beef
• Salt and pepper to taste for ground beef
• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• olive oil
• 3 tsp dried basil
• 2 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 4 bay leaves

Instructions:

1. Dice your onions and garlic. Put about 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a pan and sauté until a little brown. YUM.
2. Add ground beef—and season if you like. I add salt and fresh ground pepper at this point. Then I try not to put the cooked ground beef into a bowl and eat it for lunch. {requires self-control}
3. Breathe deep—you are already on your way to being a spaghetti sauce superstar.
4. While the ground beef is cooking, put the rest of the ingredients into your slow cooker. Be sure to drain the diced tomatoes. You don’t need that extra water in your sauce.
5. When the onion, garlic and beef deliciousness is cooked fully, dump it into a strainer and get rid of any excess grease or liquid.
6. Add to sauce. It may look very thin at first but after it’s cooked a while… it will thicken up nicely.
7. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3. The point is that you want it to bubble and blend all the flavors together.
8. Serve with your favorite pasta. I’ve become a fan on quinoa pasta… healthier version and the kids love it.
9. Serve with french bread and steamed green beans. VOILA! {Super-yum.}

BUSY MOM TIP: Keep your pantry stocked with things like tomato sauce and diced tomatoes using Amazon’s Subscribe and Save. I do this for several of my pantry faves—saves time and money!

If you want a little more PIZAZZ:

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1 can black or green olives …. or both!
• 1 tsp red peppers
• 2 tsp oregano

Cook the Italian sausage with your ground beef.

Add whatever else you like to the sauce.  Change it up!

This is a crowd pleaser. It will feed 10 but here’s the thing: YOU CAN FREEZE LEFTOVERS beautifully! So make a ton and have the rest on hand for later.

Enjoy!