Katie's Spagetti Sauce

Okay, I don't claim to be a great cook. There are only a handful of things that I think I make really well and this spagetti sauce happens to be one of them. I have combined a few different recipes to come up with my own. My husband loves this recipe, which means a lot considering he went to culinary school. I love the way it makes the house smell while it is simmering too!

1 pound ground beef
1 pound sausage
Brown, drain, and put in saucepan
Add onion powder and minced garlic to taste

Add 1 can mushrooms, drained
Add 1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
2 small cans tomato paste
2 cans water (tomato paste cans)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp basil
1 1/2 Tbsp oregano

mix up and bring to boil
simmer 4-5 hours or until tomatoes lose their sharp taste.

This recipe makes a ton of sauce. I usually freeze half or plan on leftovers for the next day or two. It is nice to have some frozen for when you need to take a last minute meal to someone or need a last minute dinner at home.

*Variations - when I am trying to eat healthier I use ground turkey meat instead of beef and sausage. Sausage can also be left out if you prefer just ground beef. Sometimes I do all of the spices to taste instead of measuring out.

I have been trying to make some healthier choices for my family so I tried to get my kids to eat whole grain or whole wheat pasta. They weren't having it. A good friend of mine told me about this pasta and said her kids will eat so I thought I would give it a try. They did not mention a thing....they ate it and didn't even know it was different and healthier. I now use this anytime we make a pasta dish.