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Hello and Happy Friday!

If you are looking for a simple, delicious and versatile comfort food recipe, you have come to the right place. This Easy Homemade Meat Sauce can be thrown together and served right away or simmered low and slow on the stove for a few hours.

This meat sauce can even be made ahead of time and put in the crockpot while you are off doing far more important things than slaving over the stove all night.

While the rest of the country seems to be dealing with some pretty crummy weather, us Arizonans are enjoying some incredibly pleasant temperatures in the high 70’s and low 80’s. I know, right? Weeks like this remind me why we put up with 110+ degrees in the summertime. Seriously, guys, Arizona winters are AMAZING!

With this weather, we have been enjoying letting some fresh air in the house. However, with the doors and windows open, the dogs are now able to see and hear everything little thing that is going on outside and they literally bark at everything and nothing. A leaf floating across the driveway? Don’t worry, they will show that leaf who is boss. A family walking their dog down the street?  Not if our dogs have anything to say about it! In other words, they are driving me slightly insane…but we love them nonetheless. Geesh, good thing they are cute! 🙂

We are also finally able to take them for a walk again. After a brutally hot summer, and AJ being out of commission in the fall due to surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon, we are back at this whole walking thing.  Thing is, if any of you have ever walked a beagle, or 2, you know that it is not always the pleasant experience people envision walking a dog should be. Oh no, walking beagles is a job in itself. After a plethora of trainers and attempts to control their barking, pulling, squealing, and sniffing we have finally given in and decided to accept them for who they are – stubborn and determined hunting dogs who do not want to just go for a “stroll” with mom and dad. Instead, we have “Easy Walk” harnesses, treats at the ready and as much patience as we can muster up for the walk. Oh well!

After quite a crazy walk, little sounds better than an easy homemade meal. That’s where this Easy Homemade Meat Sauce comes into play. The prep takes little time at all, but the results are out of this world. I usually start the sauce when I get home from work and let it simmer on the stove for a few hours to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to really come together. However, if you’re in a hurry, you can serve this meat sauce pretty much right away. I recommend using the seasonings to your taste, so rather than adding them in all at one time, add them little by little and taste as you go. You can always add more seasoning to the meat sauce, but you cannot take any away.  

I love to serve this meat sauce over cooked spaghetti noodles, or zucchini noodles – if I’m feeling healthy! This sauce would also go great in a baked spaghetti squash bowl or stuffed in a lasagna. The possibilities are endless. I also highly recommend making some garlic bread to sop up the extra sauce…YUM!! This recipe makes a lot of meat sauce, so don’t be afraid to freeze the rest for leftovers. I have been known to save single serving sizes in the freezer to take out and thaw if I know I won’t have anything to eat for lunch one day.

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Easy Homemade Meat Sauce

Course Main Dish

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion , chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic , minced
• 1.5 lbs . ground beef (I used 93/7)
• ½ cup red wine (I used Cabernet) – this can be left out, but I highly recommend it
• 1 24 oz . jar of your favorite marinara sauce
• 1 32 oz . can of crushed tomatoes
• 3-4 dashes of Worcestershire Sauce
• Olive Oil
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes , to taste
• Salt , to taste - about 1 tsp
• Pepper , to taste- about ½ tsp
• Onion powder , to taste –about ½ tsp.
• Italian seasoning , garlic powder, garlic salt, to taste, about 1 tsp, each
• 1 T Brown Sugar
• *Note: Use the seasonings to your taste. The best rule of thumb is to start with a little and add more as you go along. You can always add more , but you cannot remove any.

Instructions

1. Heat a large heavy bottom pan, or enameled cast iron pot, over medium high heat. Add 1 T of olive oil and ground beef, cook until brown. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside. Drain excess oil from pan and add more olive oil.
2. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper, to taste. Cook for about 1 minute and then add the beef back to the pan. There should be brown bits in the bottom of your pan, this is good – this is where the flavor is!
3. Deglaze the pan with ½ cup of red wine, cook until reduced and the meat has soaked up the wine flavor- about 2 minutes. This is a good time to use a wooden spoon to scrape up those yummy brown bits in your pan.
4. Add the jar of marinara sauce, can of crushed tomatoes, brown sugar, 3-4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and onion powder. *Remember, taste as you go along and add more seasoning as needed.
5. Reduce the heat to simmer and let the sauce cook for at least an hour before serving. If you have the time, I recommend cooking the sauce for longer – I usually let it simmer for at least 2 hours. The longer it cooks, the thicker it becomes and the more time it has for all the flavors to develop.
6. Serve hot over cooked noodles of your choice. Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese and chopped basil.
7. Enjoy!