homemade spaghetti sauce (with meat)

this year at rendezvous i volunteered to prepare most of the meals for the group so we would have something to eat besides hamburgers and hotdogs every night.  not that there's anything wrong with hamburgers and hotdogs, it's just, well, spaghetti is better.

my idea was to make things in advance that i could freeze and re-heat later while camping.  this sauce worked perfectly and it was very good.  several people said so, i tell the truth.  

now, the only problem is i didn't take a photo of the final (re-heated) sauce atop the (whole wheat) spaghetti noodles so, you'll have to click over to mels sight to see what it looks like.

homemade spaghetti sauce

recipe via melskitchencafe

printable recipe

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups onion, chopped and divided

1 red pepper, coarsely chopped

2 lbs hamburger (at least 90% lean -i used laura's lean 92/8)

5 cloves garlic, minced

(1) 12oz can tomato paste

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp black pepper

3 tsp dried oregano

3 tsp dried basil

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

(2) 14oz cans italian-style diced tomatoes

(2) 28-oz cans crushed tomatoes

1 carton fresh mushrooms

1 1/2 cups beef stock or beef broth

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

directions (verbatim):

"heat olive oil over medium high heat.  add 1/2 of the onions and saute until translucent and slightly browned.  add garlic and stir constantly for 1 minute. 

add beef and cook until no red is showing.  drain beef slightly.  blend up the remaining onions and red pepper in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth. 

add mixture to the garlic, onions and beef and stir to combine, cooking for another minutes.  

add tomato paste and spices and cook for 1 minutes, stirring until combined. 

add tomatoes, beef broth and sugar (and mushrooms, if using).  

stir until combined and add the bay leaves.  bring to a boil and then reduce to low and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  fifteen minutes before serving, stir in the balsamic vinegar.

note: the sauce will seem watery at first but will reduce to perfection after simmering for an hour.  i've let it simmer on the stovetop for up to three hours before with no problems."

this makes a lot of spaghetti sauce.  at least a double batch for my family (one to eat and one to freeze for later).

Nutrition Facts recipe homemade spaghetti sauce Serving Size: 1 serving Amount Per Serving Calories 246 Total Fat 8.4g       Saturated Fat 3g       Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 40mg Sodium 268mg Carbohydrate 25.2g       Dietary Fiber 1.6g       Sugars 5.6g Protein 19.5g Vitamin A 13% Vitamin C 49% Calcium    2% Iron 6%