Sawdust Girl®

Renovation, cabinet building and woodworking plans and tutorials. Build like a Girl®

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

All Posts, Recipes

I made a decision.  I am not going to slave over a hot stove this summer.  I quite often underestimate the usefulness of my slow cooker, and I don’t really think about it as being something I use other than for pot roast or soups and stews.  Let me tell you though, I have had a change of heart.  The AHA moment came last week when I was outside enjoying the 80 degree weather and longer night, and dreading the thought of coming inside to cook.  I realized my lazy attitude was only going to progress through summer, so I started hunting for lighter, easy slow cooker recipes.  Things that would go great with a bowl of fruit, or could be combined with a salad for a quick and painless dinner.  That way, I can go to the park, or pool, or be out gardening, and know that dinner is ready and waiting whenever we are.  I am so excited about this, and maybe many of you are like, “Duh chick, that’s how I always cook”, but I’m a little slow on the uptake sometimes…

In honor of Slow Cooker Summer, I’d like to share with you one of my new favorite slow cooker meals.

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

Slow Cooker Bolognese Sauce

This hearty Italian Bolognese sauce is perfect on any pasta.

  • 2.5 lb. Ground Beef or Turkey
  • 1 — Onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 — Garlic Cloves (finely chopped)
  • 3 — Carrots (shredded)
  • 1/2 cup Zucchini (shredded)
  • 2 quart Stewed Tomatoes
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 2 cup Apple Juice
  • 1/2 cup Fresh Basil
  • 1 T. Salt
  • 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp. Pepper
  • 1/4 cup Olive Oil

1. Heat oil, and add garlic, onion, carrot, and zucchini. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add ground beef to pan, cook until browned. Drain off any grease.
3. Add apple juice and tomatoes to pan, simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add milk, season with salt and pepper, nutmeg, and basil. Simmer for 3-4 hours on low temperature, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
5. Serve over favorite pasta.

Bolognese Sauce, is just a fancy Italian way of saying meat sauce. But don’t let that trick you into thinking this is just hamburger in marinara. No, no, no. This bolognese is rich, full of vegetables, sweet and savory, and takes your pasta to a whole new level. Just throw it in a pan, let it simmer all afternoon and then serve over your favorite noodles. Save the leftovers and make lasagna with it…Yum. You won’t regret the time you spend making this bolognese, and it will make a pasta lover out of even the stodgiest pasta eater…just ask my husband.
Happy lazy summer days!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Legal Stuff

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Disclosure

Recent Posts

Disclaimer:

Although it is my intention to provide accurate plans and clear instructions, not all plans have been tried and tested. Using plans or information found on SawdustGirl.com indicates that you agree with the Terms of Use policy and will accept full responsibility for the process and outcome of any project you attempt. All plans are for private use only. Plans and information published on SawdustGirl.com may not be reproduced, republished or distributed in any manner without written permission from Sandra Powell, Sawdust Girl. Actual projects built using Sawdust Girl plans may be published on your own site without instructions or "tutorial" as long as you provide a link to my original post with full post title or "SawdustGirl.com" as link title.