Spaghetti Sauce

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper (optional)
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato puree
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar (optional)
• 2 pounds Italian sausage links, sliced

Instructions

1. Brown ground beef in 2 tablespoons hot oil in frying pan.
2. When almost browned, add onion and continue browning until onion is tender.
3. Pour meat and onion into a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker.
4. Add remaining ingredients except sausage.
5. If you like sweeter sauce, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar to the slow cooker.
6. Set slow cooker to LOW setting.
7. Brown sausage in remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
8. When brown, place sausages in sauce in slow cooker.
9. Continue cooking for 12 hours.