Spaghetti Sauce

Sorry for the unattractive photo. It tastes better than it looks, I promise. I originally started making my own spaghetti sauce using Giada De Laurentiis' recipe for Marinara sauce. I've adapted it a bit to my own needs and made it a meat sauce. What's really nice, is making a double batch and freezing what you don't use, so you have it on hand for a quick meal. I freeze mine in gallon size freezer bags. It's helpful to do this since making the sauce takes some time.

Making your own sauce is also a great way to sneak some extra veggies into your meal. You can puree the veggies, chop them, or grate them, depending on how picky your kids are about chunks in their sauce. My sauce usually has carrots, celery, zucchini, sometimes bell pepper (green bell pepper definitely alters the taste, so if you don't like them, omit them), and mushrooms, not to mention a ton of tomatoes. I buy the canned crushed tomatoes. Eventually I hope to use tomatoes from my garden, but I'm not there yet. If you're looking for a nice, fresh, and light tasting sauce, this is for you. It's also good with some mozzarella cheese mixed in and some parmesan cheese on top. If you're feeling extra fancy, you can put some chopped fresh basil in the sauce at the end.

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground beef
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 to 1 zucchini, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 bell pepper, any color
1 8oz package mushrooms, finely chopped
2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute meat, onions, and garlic in oil until meat is brown and onions are translucent. Add the celery, carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, and mushrooms with salt and pepper. Saute until the vegetables are soft. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer, covered over low heat for about an hour. If you like thick sauce, you can simmer uncovered so it can thicken. Remove and discard the bay leaves and add more salt and pepper to taste.