Spaghetti Sauce
- 1 1/2 – 2 lbs. ground beef
- 2 Italian sausage links (sweet or hot, whichever is your favorite)
- 1 1/2 onions, diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced (can use any color bell pepper)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jar prepared spaghetti sauce
- 1 lg. can diced tomatoes
- 1 8oz. box mushrooms, sliced
- 1 C. red wine
- 1 Tbls. dried oregano
- 1 Tbls. dried basil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese
- Optional: Parmesan cheese rind
- Heat a little olive oil in large pot, and add ground beef and sausage (casings removed). Break apart and add onions, bell pepper and garlic, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Continue to cook until beef is browned and cooked.
- Add prepared jar of spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, mushrooms, wine, oregano, basil, bay leaves, and fennel. If you have a rind from parmesan cheese, toss that in as well. Cover (leave lid ajar a bit) and simmer for a couple hours, stirring occasionally and tasting to adjust seasonings as needed. About halfway through cooking, add grated parmesan cheese. Remove bay leaves before serving.
- Note: If your sauce tastes a little bitter from the tomatoes, add a little sugar to taste.