I had some fresh oregano that I needed to use, so I decided to make up some spaghetti sauce to freeze for future use. This sauce can be used not only for spaghetti, but also for pizza, lasagna, chicken Parmesan…you get the idea. You can even throw in some browned ground beef if you want.  It can simmer on your stove top or in your crock pot (see tip about herbs in crock pot below).

Ingredients:

• 1 can tomato sauce (14.5 oz)
• 1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)
• 2 cans tomato paste (6 oz. each)
• 1/2  tomato sauce can of water
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 bell pepper chopped (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• Worcestershire sauce
• pepper
• salt
• oregano (fresh or dried)
• 1 tsp. brown sugar (more if you like your sauce sweeter)
• olive oil

Sauté onions and pepper in olive oil. Once they’re almost soft add the garlic and cook a few seconds more. Add all the ingredients to the crock pot, tasting to make sure you have the right amounts of seasonings. Turn on low and cook at least 2 hours. I cooked mine for a few hours, since I was gone, but Crockin’ Girls told me 2 is enough.

If you want to freeze it just let it cool and put in labeled freezer bags.

Crock Pot Tip: “Ground herbs and spices tend to dissipate over long cooking times, so it’s best to add them near the end of cooking. Whole herbs release flavors over time, so are a good choice for crockery cooking. You should taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary, before serving.” – Divinerecipes.com

This post is linked at Tammy’s Recipes for Kitchen Tip Tuesday, A Thrifty Mom, and Frugally Sustainable.