This flavorful homemade meat sauce is perfect for over spaghetti, other pasta or as a filling for your homemade lasagna as well! This yields 8 cups of meat sauce.
In a large saucepan, cook the ground beef and onions on medium-high heat until the beef has browned and cooked through, and the onions are soft. Drain the grease if desired, and add in the garlic. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant.
Stir in the ketchup, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushroom pieces and the liquid from the can, Italian seasoning, bouillon cube, pepper, and bay leaves.
Cover with a lid and simmer on medium-low heat for 2 hours, stirring frequently to ensure it doesn't burn.
Taste and season to taste - add more sugar to cut the acidity, more Italian seasoning or salt/pepper if wanted.
Remove the bay leaves. Serve over pasta or even use in lasagna.
Garnish with fresh parsley.
Slow Cooker Method
In a large saucepan, cook the ground beef and onions on medium-high heat until the beef has browned and cooked through, and the onions are soft. Drain the grease and add in the garlic. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant.
Place the ground beef mixture into the bottom of your slow cooker. Stir in the ketchup, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, mushroom pieces and the liquid from the can, Italian seasoning, bouillon cube, pepper, and bay leaves.
Cover and cook for 4-5 hours on high, or 8-9 hours on low.
Taste and season to taste - add more sugar to cut the acidity, more Italian seasoning or salt/pepper if wanted.
Remove the bay leaves. Serve over pasta or even use in lasagna. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
*If you use tomato sauce and not the ketchup, add 1 tsp of white sugar to the sauce.
Using the liquid from the mushroom can is a waste not, want not Grandma trick and really boosts the mushroom flavor.