Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

I love this recipe, but I must say I have forgotten where I got it from. I make a crock pot full, we eat on it for two days, and then I freeze the rest for another time. I use italian sausage, and omit the red pepper and sugar (prefer a not too sweet sauce). If I am short of time, I always cook the meat the night before, then put it all in the crock pot the next morning. I would think, though, you could cook it all night then all the next day until dinner too. The recipe states 4-6 servings but I think it makes more than that. Enjoy!

• Ready In: 10 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 4  tablespoons  cooking oil, divided
• 1  small onion, finely chopped
• 1 (15 1/2ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 1⁄2 cups water
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  red pepper (optional)
• 1  lb ground beef
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
• 2  lbs sausage (Italian links or country style)
• 1⁄4-1⁄2 cup sugar, to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Brown ground beef in 2 tablespoons hot oil in frying pan.
2. When almost browned, add onion and continue browning until onion is tender. Pour meat and onion into crock pot.
3. Add puree, sauce, paste, water, salt, pepper and oregano and set dial on low setting.
4. Cut 2 pounds sausage into pieces and brown in remaining 2 tablespoons oil. When brown, place sausages in sauce in crock pot.
5. Continue cooking for 12 hours.
6. If you like your sauce sweeter, you could add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar to this.