One of my favorite meals due to the savory tomato flavor, and the ease with which it can be portioned out into single-serve freezer packs. This recipe will make 6-8 8oz servings (for 3 or 4oz dry spaghetti), depending on the extra ingredients you add, and how much you boil it down.
Tools:
- 1+ gal stock pot.
Essentials ingredients:
- 1lb Ground Beef
- 10.5oz can of Cream of Mushroom
- 3.5lb of tomatoes
- fresh or canned, diced or crushed
- 8oz of tomato sauce can substitute 1.5lb of tomatoes for shorter cooking time
- 3tbsp Italian seasoning
- Substitute fresh herbs when available, in which case you should reduce the amount of dried seasoning.
- Experiment with proportions – this sauce is forgiving.
- 3tbsp Garlic, fresh, crushed, or powdered
- 2tbsp sugar
- 1tbsp salt
- 3tbsp flour
Optional:
- Onion, diced
- Mushrooms, sliced or diced.
- Chopped Veggies of choice
- 1 tbsp MSG
Process:
- If using onions, take half and carmelize in a 1gal+ stock pot. Can use a pinch of baking soda to speed the process.
- Brown ground beef in the onions, also with some garlic.
- Add tomato sauce, tomatoes, cream of mushroom, sugar, salt, flour, garlic, seasoning, and MSG. Add half of the mushrooms. If using fresh herbs, add half now.
- Simmer on low heat for at least an hour, or until thickened to satisfaction. Stir occasionally, scrape up the stuff that sticks to the bottom (that’s the best flavor element!), mixing it into the sauce.
- If other vegetables and herbs are to be added, throw them in a bit before the sauce reaches the desired thickness.
- Sauce will thicken with time for best flavor, but if needed sooner, add more flour and cook a few minutes longer to rush the thickening.
- Serve. About 8oz of sauce does nicely for 4oz of dry pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese.