meat sauce

• 1/2 pound of ground beef
• 1/2 pound of ground sausage
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cans of crushed tomatoes
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes
• 2 cans of tomato paste
• fresh (or dried) oregano, chopped fine
• fresh basil

In large skillet brown meats until done, drain. In large sauce pot over a medium flame, saute garlic and onion in a little olive oil for 3-5 minutes, or until just translucent. Add tomato paste and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add remainder of tomatoes and browned meat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook for 2+ hours. Add oregano 1 hour before serving, add basil right as served.

The dish: The above recipe is the advanced version of this classic meat sauce. For total ease you can just throw all the ingredients in your crock pot and cook for 8 hours on low. I actually did a mix of the two- I cooked the sauce as described above and then transferred the mix to my crock pot to cook for a couple of hours. Unless if you're really pinched for time, I'd recommend always browning the meat and the garlic and onion as they have a distinct flavor when sauteed as opposed to slow cooking.