Recipe: Spaghetti Meat Sauce (crock pot)

SPAGHETTI MEAT SAUCE

1/2 pound sweet or hot Italian link sausage
1 pound ground chuck
1 pound round steak or stewing beef, cut in 1-inch cubes
2 cans (16 oz each) Italian-style tomatoes, broken up
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons leaf basil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Remove sausage from casings; brown in skillet with ground chuck and cubed meat. Break up sausage and ground meat with wooden spoon or fork as they brown; drain well.

Add meat to Crock-Pot with remaining ingredients; stir well.

Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 16 hours or on High for 4 to 6 hours. For thicker sauce, cook on High for last 2 hours, removing cover for last hour.

This sauce may be made 1 to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. It also freezes well.

Servings: 8-10
Adapted from source: Rival Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Cuisine