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 for Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce
Tip:
Generally, crock pot slow-cooking provides intense flavouring and vegetables provide alot of their own liquid. If you find this bolognese sauce 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)
How to Make Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce
- 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.
