Penny's Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs

This is such a great meal to make in abundance. Serve it to a crowd AND freeze some for later. So many different uses, too. I sometimes make the sauce with the meat crumbled into it and use some of that sauce for lasagna and/or baked ziti. Hope you like it, too!

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 20

Ingredients

• Sauce

• 2  onions, chopped
•  salt and pepper
• 2  tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 28  ounces  petite diced tomatoes
• 30  ounces tomato sauce
• 24  ounces tomato paste
• 10 1⁄2 ounces  consomme
• 1 1⁄2 cups dry red wine
• 5  cups water
• 1  tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1  tablespoon dried oregano
• 1  tablespoon dried basil
• 1  tablespoon sugar

• Meatballs

• 1  lb ground turkey
• 1  lb Italian sausage or 1  lb ground pork or 1  lb beef
• 1⁄4 cup parsley, chopped
• 2  eggs
• 1  cup  Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a very large soup/stew pot and saute onions until soft, salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
3. Simmer the sauce for 3 hours and if you are going to add the meatballs:
4. Place all meatball ingredients, except olive oil, in a large bowl and mix gently.
5. Do not over mix the meatballs, they will be tough.
6. Form and shape either small, 2" diameter balls or larger.
7. Salt and pepper and set aside.
8. Now you can either drop the meatballs into the simmering sauce for 3 hours or you can sear them first in the remaining olive oil and then drop them into the sauce.
9. My Italian friends prefer the fried meatballs.