Foodie Friday: Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

I often have the same problem when I get home from work. I'm too tired to make a gourmet dinner. I tried when I was first married to present hubby with lovely, multi-course meals. That lasted about 6 months. Now, I look for quick an easy. And that's where my handy crock pot comes into play!

I make this spaghetti sauce pretty often and can use it in many ways. Want spaghetti? Perfect. How about lasagna? Check out next Friday's post. Then there's that thing my husband called "goulash" for the first six months of our marriage that I finally figured out meant rotini or macaroni with sauce and cheese piled on. You can do that too.

Pull out your crock pot and gather your ingredients:
1 Vidalia or 3 small onions
1 pound super lean ground beef
2 large cans diced tomatoes
1 can mushrooms (stems and caps are fine), drained (optional)
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup Cinnamon
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste

I cut up the onions and put them in the bottom of the pot. Since my family has no problems with onions, I keep the pieces big! Over the onions, I put in the beef and then break it up into smaller chunks.

Then I layer in the Italian seasoning, cinnamon and salt and pepper. The cinnamon gives it a sweetness that we love - it's the more Greek version of sauce. If you want a more Italian style taste, throw in a couple Tablespoons of garlic powder instead.

Here's the hard part, open your cans of diced tomatoes and mushrooms (drained) and throw those in. You can also put in peppers or black olives if you like them in your sauce. Then stir up the whole thing and cover your pot.

As for cooking, I usually cook this on high for 8-9 hours. If you anticipate being longer, you can cook it on medium for probably 12-14 hours. When I get home I find delicious goodness waiting for me as I walk through the door. I throw on some angel hair pasta and I have dinner in a snap!

Enjoy!