Spaghetti Meat Sauce

One of the first things I ever learned how to make was Spaghetti Sauce. I have always and will always love pasta, so my mom taught me how to make sauce early so I could help her make dinner when we had it. Below is a variation on the recipe my mom taught me which is pretty close to that original sauce.

Spaghetti Meat Sauce: 10 Servings

1lb Ground Beef - 93% Lean
3 Cans Tomato Sauce (approx 45-48oz)
1 Can Diced Tomatoes - drained (approx 15oz)
1 Small Can Tomato Paste (approx 6oz)
1 Small Onion - Diced
1 Small Bell Pepper - Diced
2 Cloves Garlic
1tsp Basil
1tsp Parsley
1tsp Oregano
1 Bay Leaf
1/2tsp Onion Powder
1TB Sugar
Salt & Pepper

Brown the beef with the onions & bell pepper and some Salt & Pepper. Once browned, drain and place in a large sauce pot. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer on low for at least 30 minutes, remove the bay leaf from the sauce and discard. Serve with pasta, spaghetti squash or make a lasagna or stuffed shells. Like any soup type item this gets better with time, so feel free to make a few days ahead of time, or make in large batches and freeze for later!  You can also brown the beef as described above and then toss with all other ingredients into a crock pot and cook on low for the day, I find that when I do this the sauce becomes thinner but the taste develops a new depth to it over time.

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WW: 2 Points Plus / serving