This post may contain affiliate links and ads. Read our disclosure policy here.
Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
If you live anywhere near the Philly Burbs as we do, you probably noticed a distinctly different feel in the air outside today. The humidity has broken (at least for now). The crickets have ramped up their daytime chirping. The fluffy clouds and ultra blue sky have that very distinct feeling that summer is coming to an end and the school buses will be back on the road in no time. I wait for this time of year alllllll year. It is steeped in nostalgia for me – from my own childhood days to my teaching days. This time of year holds a large collection of happy memories for me, including many that remind me of my mom.
This also just happens to be the time of year when vegetable gardens like to go into tomato-ripening-overdrive. We have been picking tomatoes by the BUCKET load every couple days. I have a few different recipes that I love using fresh tomatoes in, but the first one on my list every year without fail, is slow cooker spaghetti sauce. For my family, the smell of this sauce simmering all day goes hand in hand with the feeling that late summer gives off. If you smell simmering spaghetti sauce in my house, I can pretty much promise you that school is either just about to start or has just started!
This sauce can be canned or frozen – it’s entirely your own preference.
You will need:
- 10-12 tomatoes, peeled and quartered (I use a mix of plum and whatever large tomatoes we happen to be growing that year.)
- 18 oz tomato paste
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 green peppers, chopped
- Italian seasoning (I used fresh chopped basil and oregano from our garden.)
- sugar (to taste)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small eggplant, chopped
- 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
How to make:
- Combine all ingredients in crock pot.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bay leaf before serving.
Other posts you might enjoy…