Chunky Crock Pot Tomato Sauce

CatlingMex's Note:

The secret to good spaghetti sauce is, in my opinion, cooking it very slowly and for a long time. Using a crock pot is the perfect solution! This sauce is great because of all the nutritious vegetables in it, and because it is versatile. I make it without the ground beef for meatless Fridays, with the beef at other times. We pour it over pasta, serve it with spaghetti squash in the fall, or spread it on pita bread to make "pita pizza." All quantities are approximate, so don't be afraid to play around with the ingredients a little.

• Total Time: 4 hrs
• Prep Time: 0 mins
• Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 4 cups tomato paste
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole tomatoes, cut up
• 1 cup chopped fresh zucchini
• 1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
• 2/3 cup grated carrot
• 1/4 cup minced green pepper
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper
• 2/3 lb ground beef (optional)

Directions:

1. If using the ground beef, brown it, then drain off the excess grease.
2. Combine all ingredients in the crock pot.
3. Cover and cook on high for about 4 hours.
4. Check the consistency an hour before it is done; if it's too thick, add a little water, and if it's too watery, leave the lid off so that it can reduce somewhat.
5. For Vegetarian/Vegan omit the ground beef or use a Vegetarian/Vegan ground meat sub.