Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
• 1 small onion, finely chopped

• 1 (15 1/2 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper (optional)
• 1 lb ground beef

• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato puree

• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 2 lbs sausage (Italian links or country style)
• 1/4-1/2 cup sugar, to taste (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Brown ground beef in 2 tablespoons hot oil in frying pan.

2. 2

   When almost browned, add onion and continue browning until onion is tender. Pour meat and onion into crock pot.

3. 3

   Add puree, sauce, paste, water, salt, pepper and oregano and set dial on low setting.

4. 4

   Cut 2 pounds sausage into pieces and brown in remaining 2 tablespoons oil. When brown, place sausages in sauce in crock pot.

5. 5

   Continue cooking for 12 hours.

6. 6

   If you like your sauce sweeter, you could add 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar to this.