Main Course Monday: Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

There is nothing better to soothe your nerves before a big presentation like a calm, elderly gentleman talking about his homemade spaghetti sauce and handing out Werther's coffee caramels. During my last semester of college, we had to give a presentation in front of a board of people about some aspect of student teaching. They recorded it on video, judged you on a very specific rubric, and we had to get a certain score to graduate. Fairly high stress situation.

One of the University supervisors sat at the table behind me, however, and chatted away the whole time before the presentations began. I had never met him before, and I don't think I have seen him since. He was in charge of the other group of students presenting that day, but was completely at ease with talking to whomever was around him. Obviously he was not presenting that day :)

When he began talking about his homemade spaghetti sauce that he makes in a crock pot, it was like a light bulb went off in my head. It was a brilliant idea that I immediately planned to replicate at some point. The perfect time came last week after my parents sent about 30 tomatoes home with me from their garden. This sauce worked great for homemade pizza too.

Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce
Serves 6 to 8

1/2 to 1 lb. sausage or hamburger
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 to 3 pounds fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
6 oz. tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 large bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Brown the sausage or the hamburger in a frying pan, then add the to the slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients except for the corn starch and the water.

2. Cover and cook on high for 6 to 8 hours. You could also cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, or do a combination of the high and low settings. If you can, stir the sauce occasionally.

3. About 30 minutes before eating, mix the corn starch and the water in a small bowl and add it to the sauce. Cook for 25 minutes on high to allow the sauce to thicken.

4. Store in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for several weeks. Enjoy!