Mom’s Famous Spaghetti Sauce (Skillet, Crock-pot, or Vegetarian)

I love this spaghetti sauce recipe!

Okay, maybe it isn’t exactly the most well known recipe, but it is “famous” in my family! This is the best spaghetti sauce I have ever tasted! My friend, Brandy, has been wowing me for years with this amazing spaghetti sauce, and she finally shared her secret recipe with me. And gave me permission to share it with you!

Her mom has been making this spaghetti sauce recipe since she was young, and she passed this recipe on to Brandy. This is a perfect dish for the entire family or potlucks. Take your spaghetti up a notch with this sauce recipe!

Seriously, it is so good! Way better than any store-bought or even other homemade spaghetti sauce I’ve tried before. The seasonings and thickness are just right for my taste. You can change things up a bit toward the end of the cooking time for your personal preference too though:

• add more herbs, if desired
• or more salt and pepper
• thin the sauce with water
• or thicken it up with a little more uncovered cooking time

I love that there are lots of options for how to prepare this sauce too. You can make it without the meat and add more veggies (vegetarian style), let it slow cook in your Crock-Pot, or let it simmer in a large skillet for an hour or so. (This my very favorite skillet, by the way!)

Another option is to try this recipe with fresh diced tomatoes from your garden, instead of canned tomatoes.

Plus, you can make the sauce in advance or make more than you need for that meal, then freeze it for later. Love that idea for an easy, delicious meal with homemade sauce for later – only need to cook the pasta and reheat the sauce!

Give this homemade spaghetti sauce recipe a try! It is easy and delicious!

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Mom’s Famous Spaghetti Sauce (Skillet, Crock-pot, or Vegetarian)

Enjoy this delicious homemade spaghetti sauce recipe! The whole family will love it!

5 / 5 ( 6 Reviews )

Print Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 5 hours hours

Total Time: 5 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Serves: 6

Adjust Servings: 6

US CustomaryMetric

Equipment

• Slow Cooker

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef turkey, or sausage
• 1 small onion diced
• 5 to 6 garlic cloves finely minced
• 14.5 oz can or fresh diced tomatoes
• 2 cans tomato sauce 15 oz cans/425 gram cans
• 15 ounces water filled sauce can
• 1 cup mushrooms diced (optional)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon dried sage
• sugar sprinkle (optional)
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

Skillet

• In a large skillet, cook the meat, onions, and garlic over medium heat until the meat is cooked through. Drain any excess grease, if necessary. Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Fill one of the tomato sauce cans with water, then add the water to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Simmer, covered, for about 1 to 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. May have to add more water, herbs, and garlic to your liking.
• Uncover 15-20 minutes before it is done to thicken sauce. Serve over spaghetti.

Slow Cooker

• Brown meat and onions in skillet.
• Transfer to the slow cooker, add remaining ingredients, mix well, cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Vegetarian

• Follow the directions above except eliminate the meat and add 1 cup of diced zucchini and 1 cup of diced squash. Saute vegetables in some olive oil for 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients.
• Simmer, covered, for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Freezer

• Prepare as directed above, portion into ziploc freezer bags, and lay flat and freeze.
• Thaw in the fridge for up to 24 hours, and reheat in a skillet.

Nutrition

Calories: 277kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 16g | Sodium: 1343mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 12g