In an effort to save money, I began
substituting my homemade marinara sauce in any recipe that called for tomato
sauce. This sauce has become essential
to Homemade Hamburger Helper, Spinach & Chickpeas, Sloppy Joes, and
homemade pizza. Anything that can be
thrown into the slow cooker, without sacrificing flavor, is a brilliant recipe
in my kitchen. While I used to make fun
of my mother for her love of crock-pots, I now understand the magic behind this
handy kitchen gadget. In this recipe, I
exclusively use whole tomatoes.
Substituting crushed or diced tomatoes results in a watery sauce. My favorite brand of canned tomatoes is Muir
Glen and I strongly recommend using them in this recipe. I have experimented with other organic store
brands, but none produce the equivalent results of Muir Glen. This sauce is great for the freezer. I use wide mouth canning jars to portion out
my sauce, but any freezer safe container will work.
Ingredients
- 2
(28 oz.) cans Muir Glen whole peeled tomatoes, in juices
- 1
large onion, chopped
- 6
garlic cloves, minced
- 1
cup carrots, chopped
- ½
cup celery, chopped
- 2
teaspoons dried oregano
- 6
tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3
teaspoons Celtic sea salt
- 1
teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Directions
- In a slow cooker, combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, oregano, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours. Cool the sauce slightly before using an immersion blender to puree it. Yields 7 1/2 to 8 cups of sauce.
Make ahead: Cool the sauce over
night in the refrigerator. Freeze up to 6 months. I divide the
sauce in 1 or 2 cups portions when freezing. This makes it easy to
pull out for pizza, meatballs, spaghetti, and casseroles.
