Big Batch Crockpot Red Sauce
One of the strategies I’ve been trying to get better at when it comes to quickly making homemade meals, is to have some resources in my freezer. And that’s why I’m liking this big batch red sauce recipe. It makes plenty at one time so there’s always some to save for the freezer. It makes about a triple size batch of red sauce (or spaghetti sauce or marinara or whatever you would like to call it) and you can be kind of lazy and make it in the crockpot too!
The base of this sauce is three 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes which are then seasoned with minced garlic, basil, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. The red pepper flakes give this sauce just a little bit of extra heat that sets it apart from the store-bought sauces. I like to add one teaspoon of red pepper flakes which is perfect for my taste, but of course you can use more or less to your preference. All these ingredients are combined in a crockpot and cooked on low for 4 hours.
This recipe makes a total of about 8 to 9 cups of sauce. I usually divide that up into three portions for the freezer of roughly 2-3/4 cups each, which is about equal to a store bought jar of sauce.
This red sauce can be used in a variety of ways too. We often use it on spaghetti but it can be used for pizza, lasagna, or any other place where you need an Italian flavored tomato sauce.
Big Batch Crockpot Red Sauce
Equipment:
- Crockpot
Ingredients:
- 3 cans crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions:
- Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot.
- Cook on low for 4 hours.
- This sauce freezes well for use at a later date.
Mmm I love homemade sauce. You can taste the love. Thanks for posting. Hello from Waste Not Want Not Wednesday.
Thanks for sharing this on Waste Not Want Not Wednesday! I’m featuring it this week 🙂
This looks amazing! My mom use to make marinara sauce in the slow cooker, but I don’t think I’ve tried it yet myself.
Thanks for sharing with Waste Not Want Not Wednesday!
I love make ahead frozen meals. Wonderful time saver. I can not wait for garden tomatoes to come in.
This looks great and I will try it. Please do not heat ANYTHING plastic in the microwave, or you will be consuming plastic. If you freeze in plastic. partially thaw in a sink in which you have run a shallow amount of very hot tap water.
I make my red sauce on the spot with canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, spices & my immersion blender. Like your son’s restaurant, I tweak it for different things. I leave it chunky for chicken parmesan & pasta, just a little chunky for spaghetti, lasagna & smoother for French bread pizza. I simmer browned chicken in a thinner, chunky sauce for my Italian chicken & rice. I go through a lot of canned tomatoes & paste in my home!
You sound like a person who really knows how to use a red sauce Dee! Italian chicken and rice sounds yummy 🙂