I come from a big family who loved getting together, especially if good food was involved. We gathered for birthdays, lunch after church, and any other celebratory event. The meals after church had to be large enough to satisfy a hungry crowd who may stick around for dinner. My mother would make stew or anything that fed a large crowd.
Whenever I host something, like my mother, I want everyone to leave with a full stomach. I often have leftovers to either send home with family or take to work for lunch. One recipe that is always a favorite and feeds a large crowd is my spaghetti recipe. I’ve been making it for years.
The key to this recipe is the Italian sausage and mushrooms. I’ve used a mushroom spaghetti sauce seasoning mix (either the name brand or store brand) in place of fresh mushrooms. These two ingredients enrich the sauce with flavor, especially after a long simmer on the stove.
This recipe uses a crock-pot. The sauce can remain in the pot and simmer on the stove for 4-5 hours. This sauce can be prepared the night before and may even improve the flavor as it rests in the fridge.
Spaghetti Sauce
1 lb ground beef
½ lb ground Italian sausage
⅓ C water
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
2 cans (6 oz each) tomato paste
1 can (6 oz) sliced mushrooms
1 C onion, diced
¾ C green pepper, chopped
½ C red wine
½ C pimento stuffed olives
3 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp chili powder
⅛ tsp pepper
2 T cold water
2 T cornstarch
In a large skillet, brown the beef and sausage. Drain. Transfer to crock-pot. Add water, tomatoes, paste, mushrooms, onions, green pepper, wine, olives, bay leaves, garlic, Worcestershire, sugar, salt, chili, and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours.
In a small bowl, combine water and cornstarch; stir into crock-pot. Cover and cook another 10 minutes. Serve hot over spaghetti. Serves 8 to 10.
Cindy in the Kitchen 