Tomato Sauce: Slow Cooker Recipe

Tomato sauce can turn an ordinary meal into a delicious and healthy dining experience. The recipe that follows is a simple one that can be made fairly quickly, although it does require some cooking time to develop a deep and rich taste.

You do not need to drown your food in the sauce to enjoy its benefits which are numerous.

Tomato sauce is most commonly associated with pasta and for many years we were eating pasta regularly until we realized that it was the sauce that we were craving. Pasta is still on the menu, we enjoy pasta salads, for example, but we eat it less often these days.

There are other ways to enjoy a tomato sauce. I add it to a vegetable stew, the recipe for this will appear in a future hub, and pour tomato sauce over vegetables such as brussel sprouts, cabbage and green beans.

The recipe below calls for canned tomatoes. Tomato sauce is one of the few foods were I am quite happy to use cans. Canned tomatoes are one of the few canned foods that I buy in bulk whenever case lots come on sale. I look for the low sodium brands.

Canned tomatoes make a great tomato for sauce. I prefer using a combination of crushed and diced tomatoes but whole canned tomatoes can work as well. Tomato paste is essential. Have plenty on hand and when making sauce make extra so you will have a quick healthy food handy. Herbs such as thyme, onion, oregano, basil, bay leaf, black pepper, garlic and crushed chilies enhance the taste but only three are absolutely necessary, basil, garlic and bay leaf.

The following sauce is prepared in my slow cooker. I find the cooker frees me to prepare meals and take care of other business at the same time.

Bob's Tomato Sauce: Slow Cooker

1- tablespoon olive oil,

1- medium onion diced,

2- gloves garlic thinly sliced

10 large fresh button mushrooms diced or 1 can 14 oz,

1 medium green pepper diced,

3-celery sticks diced,

1- bay leaf, fresh, but dry will do,

dry or fresh spices, basil, thyme, oregano, pinch dry chilies,

1- can tomato paste 5.5 oz,

1-can diced tomatoes 28 oz,

1-can crushed tomatoes 28 oz. add oil to slow cooker set on high,

add diced onions, celery, green pepper to cooker, let cook until onions begin to brown, then add mushrooms, cook 3 minutes.

add both cans of tomatoes, add herbs, stir, cook 20 minutes, add tomato paste stir,

cover cooker and let cook on high for two hours, stirring every 15-20 minutes.

This recipe does not use ground beef but if you enjoy a meat and tomato sauce then you can add it. Be sure to fry the beef (1/4 pound) before adding it to the sauce.

If you have to go out or attend to other tasks, simply turn the slow cooker down to keep warm. This recipe can be prepared in a regular large pot as well. Makes enough sauce for 4-6 meals.

You can serve this with garlic bread or a side salad and have a complete meal that all will enjoy.