Crock-Pot Bolognese Sauce
A Classic Comfort Food Recipe for Your Favourite Pasta Dishes
One of the best ways to spend a free day is to cook up big batches of comfort foods for the freezer. I like to "kill many birds with one stone", as they say, and this bolognese sauce in the crock-pot makes a great pasta sauce for all your favourites: Lasagna, mac'n'cheese with a lasagna style when you don't have time to make lasagna, and of course, the classic spaghetti bolognese.
On these days, I often make Chili con Carne and Spaghetti Bolognese sauce at the same time because they have so many ingredients in common. I brown enough ground beef for both and finely chop veggies for both in one fell swoop in the food processor. Then I split up the beef and all the veggies between the two before adding the herbs and seasoning for each unique dish. Try it sometime -- you'll save alot of time and have a freezer full of comfort food for those busy week nights.
Ingredients
Tip:
Generally, crock-pot slow-cooking provides intense flavouring and vegetables provide alot of their own liquid. If you find this chili too thin, remove the lid and turn the crock-pot to high for the last hour of cooking.
- Ground Beef, 1 1/2 lb, browned and drained of excess grease
- Diced plum tomatoes (14 oz, drained)
- Onion, 1 medium, finely chopped
- Carrot, 1/2 medium, finely chopped
- Red pepper, 1/2 finely chopped
- Green pepper, 1/2 finely chopped
- Mushrooms, about 1/3 lb, finely chopped
- Zucchini, 1 small, finely chopped
- Garlic, 7 - 10 cloves, finely crushed
- 1/4 tsp each of: oregano, parsley, rosemary, celery salt
- Dried Basil, 1/2 tsp
- Hot Hungarian paprika, 1 tsp
- Cayenne pepper, a pinch or so
- Worschestershire, 3 tbsp
- Chili flakes, 1/4 tsp
- Dried Bay Leaf, 1
- Fresh Basil (to be added in last hour or two of cooking)
Cooking Method
- Mix all ingredients in the crock-pot.
- Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours (or simmer very low on stove top, partially covered for 2 - 3 hours, stirring occasionally).
- Add a couple tablespoons of fresh chopped basil about an hour before the end of cooking time.
- Remove the dried bay leaf before serving.
Traditional bolognese sauce recipes call for pancetta or bacon. I've just always left them out.
