Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef I like 93/7%
- 12 oz ground Italian sausage*
- 1 onion chopped (usually just a medium one)
- 6 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 fresh tomato chopped**
- 3 cans 15 oz each tomato sauce
- 2 cans 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves***
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In the biggest skillet you have (seriously), brown the meat with the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. I use a little bit of olive oil and saute up the onion and garlic first, but proceed how you normally like. Drain thoroughly.
- Add meat mixture to Slow Cooker and add remaining ingredients.*** Stir to combine.
- Cook on low setting for 8-9 hours.
Notes
We use mild Italian sausage for Elle but I prefer spicier. Usually I’ll add a bit more spice when reheating the sauce after I’ve already dished up Elle’s portion.
Or you could add half a can or diced tomatoes. Or a whole can. I found if I added an entire 15 oz can of diced tomatoes in addition to the 28 oz can the sauce was too liquidy for our taste. Sometimes I’ll drain the can and just add the tomato chunks if I don’t have anything fresh on hand. Tomayto Tomahto.
And sometimes a few shakes of the Italian herbs bottle. You can always add more seasoning next time you reheat the sauce.
