Meaty Spaghetti Sauce and Fine China Fridays

Everyone likes spaghetti sauce the way they like it. It's just a fact.

Some like a thick, chunky sauce full of onions and green peppers.

Some like a thin sauced with big chunks of tomatoes.

At my house we like a meat sauce. Full of flavor.



I've been making this sauce for years. I have wonderful friends, Tommy and Rose who are true Italians. They taught me a few things about making "gravy" way back when and I know that's why my sauce tastes as good as it does today.

But I've never written the recipe down. It's one of those recipes that you just keep tasting and adding as you go.

And hubby has been bugging me ever since the kids first came into the kitchen to help that I need to write it down. They'll never remember it. I think Cassie will, and I think given a few more years, Grace will.

But ok, I'm writing it down.

I'm so honored that Andi over at The Wednesday Baker chose my sauce recipe for the Crazy Cooking Challenge! Be sure to check it out.

Meaty Spaghetti Sauce

1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion finely chopped (can use minced onion)
salt and pepper
1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (29 ounces) whole tomatoes (can also use fresh tomatoes)
1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
1/4 cup Parmigiana cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder or minced garlic
2-3 bay leaves
1 beef boulion cube
3/4-1 cup water

Brown ground beef with onions and salt and pepper.

Once cooked, drain well, you don't want a greasy sauce.

Drain whole tomatoes in to the large pot you will be cooking sauce in. Either chop or puree tomatoes and add to pot. (we don't like big chunks of tomato in our sauce)

Add your can of sauce and tomato paste.

Add drained ground beef.

(ok my pot looks like it's about to spill over because I triple this recipe when I make it. Then I freeze what we don't eat and get 4 more meals out of it.)

Stir, then add all your spices.

Parmigiana

Italian Seasoning

garlic powder

stir, bay leaves (these take the bite, sour, bitter, whatever you want to call it, out of the tomatoes, giving a slightly sweet taste. )

Now add your boulin cube and water (you can substitute with beef stock)

Let simmer a minimum of 2 hours before you taste. Make sure to stir every now and then. Let the flavors mingle, get to know each other, blend.

The longer this sauce cooks the better it tastes. After 2 hours, you can add any meat you want. This sauce pops when we add Italian Sausage to it.

And it has to be this sausage, it's the only one hubby likes!

I precook the sausage in the oven then add to the sauce, making sure I have at least 1-2 hours before dinner. The flavor the sausage adds is unmatched. You can also add meatballs. If you do add meatballs, add about 1/2 cup more water so you can gently stir the meatballs without them falling apart.

I start my sauce in the morning of the day we want to eat it and let it simmer all day, stirring and tasting as the day goes on.

When I add my sausage and meatballs, I divide my sauce into 2 pots.

Note, be sure to pull out the bay leaves as you serve, they taste horrible. We've told the kids, it's lucky to get one but don't eat it. 

And doesn't this sauce look wonderful on my Grandmother's china?


It's part of Fine China Fridays. I never really thought much about using my "good" china until I read Jana's post. And she's right. Why let it gather dust. And I do have 13 dinner plates, if one get's broken, I'll be ok. So I can't promise every week, but at least twice a month I'm going to use "the good stuff."

And the kids loved it. When each one came home from school they immediately noticed the table, they asked what's the occasion. When I explained Fine China Fridays, they walked off with smiles on their faces.

I just love this picture, my son took it. He was supposed to be getting a picture of his plate!

A great way to spend a day around the house, and I've got at least 4 more meals in the freezer now.

I've linked up at Weekend Potluck, Fusion Fridays, Country Momma Cooks, from Scratch Friday, Dwell on Joy, Serenity Saturday, Seasonal Inspiration, Think Pink Sundays, Sunday Scoop Link Party, Church Supper

I always find the greatest recipes and ideas at these parties!