by Amanda Piper

Created on: March 12, 2007   Last Updated: May 14, 2007

Making your own spaghetti sauce is a great way of cutting down your grocery bill. By making it yourself you usually save some money and make far more sauce than would come in a jar.
One of the disillusionments about making your own sauce is that it requires a lot of time simmering on the stove. I have found a recipe you can make in your Crockpot so you can start it anytime and leave it all day with no worries.

Basic Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce:

2 cans of tomato paste and an equal amount of water

Optional Addition if you would like a chunkier sauce:
2 cans of diced tomato (i like garlic and herb flavored if you can find it)

That is the base of the sauce, additions may vary depending on taste. For a super easy sauce add 2 teaspoons of salt and 5-6 tablespoons of a spice called "Italian Seasoning" which is a blend of different spices. I usually start with that and add a few more of my own spices, or skip the Italian Seasoning all together and add the following:

The spice measurements are approximate, I typically go by looks...
(I used dried spices. Using fresh will add more flavor so you may want to use less)

2 teaspoons of salt, dash of pepper
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons chopped onion
4 tablespoons Oregano
2 bay leaves (I fish them out before serving)
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons basil

Cook in the Crockpot 8 hours, stirring occasionally.
Possible additions: any vegetable you desire, 1 lb cooked ground beef or sausage, cooked or uncooked meatballs (they will cook in the pot, however you'll have to skim the fat off).

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