Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

We have a beautiful {and productive} garden that the previous homeowners blessed us with!

This week, we had a chance to use a bucket full of ripe tomatoes to make our first batch of crockpot spaghetti sauce for the season!!

This sauce is runny; when you serve it, add in a can of tomato paste and or sauce to create the consistency of sauce you enjoy.

I like making it and freezing it without the paste because it helps conserve freezer space.

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce - Finding Joy in My Kitchen
{Print Recipe}

1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
~12 large tomatoes, peeled, sliced and chopped
2 T dried onion flakes
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 medium bell pepper (green or purple is our favorite), diced
4 T brown sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon {trust me on this one!!}
4 garlic cloves
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Begin by harvesting your tomatoes.  Alternatively, if you don't have garden tomatoes, you can use two cans (14.5oz) of diced tomatoes, undrained, in their place.

Wash up your tomatoes, and then place them in a large bowl.

Pour boiling hot water over the tomatoes until they are covered.  Allow them to sit in the hot water for 3ish minutes.

Then, decant the hot water, carefully, so as not to burn yourself.

Cover the tomatoes with cold water and allow them to sit in the cool water for 2-3 minutes.

Begin with a tomato of your choosing and remove the skin -- it should pretty much fall right off.  If needed, slice the skin with a knife to start the peeling.

Continue, until all tomatoes are peeled.  Then, slice and dice them.

Next, prepare the other vegetables, along with 1 can tomato sauce and combine them in a large crockpot.

Add in the tomatoes and stir to combine.  Add the spices, including the cinnamon.  Don't skip this -- the richness this spice adds to the spaghetti sauce is incredible!

Season well with salt and pepper, and then cover.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours, or until veggies are tender to your liking.

Cool, and then place into glass jars or freezer containers.

Cool completely in the fridge before placing your containers into the freezer {saves on your energy consumption}.

Serve as is {just add tomato paste and/or sauce to thicken}, use in dishes that call for spaghetti sauce, or add ground beef/turkey to make a meal.

We serve ours with Barilla's Whole Wheat Spaghetti Noodles.

If you'd rather make the sauce using canned tomatoes -- click here for those directions.

Join GoodLife Eats for the Surprisingly Nutritious Spaghetti Link-Up sponsored by Barilla pasta!

This post is linked to:
Delicious Dishes
Tasty Tuesdays
Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays
Ingredient Spotlight