Spaghetti and Lasagna recipes

I put up my menu for the week (well, pretty much every week), and here are a couple of the recipes that we enjoy each week in our house:

Spaghetti Sauce:

I make a huge batch of this that I break into 6 meals (five for the freezer, one which we eat right away).

Into my crockpot:

5 – 15 oz cans of tomato sauce (I use Trader Joe’s organic)

5 – 6 oz cans of tomato paste (same brand)

2 pounds of ground beef (I get my helpers to help me roll this into small meatballs, takes about a half hour. I throw them in raw)

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 1/2 tsp. Oregano

1 tsp. Black pepper

3/4 tsp. Basil

1/2 tsp. garlic

Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low 6-8. Meatballs should be cooked through when done. I freeze in two cup portions with about 25 small meatballs in each. When I defrost and cook I add an 8 ounce can of tomato sauce to the two cups of pre-made sauce. This covers about 3/4 pound of pasta and feeds our family of 7-8 when accompanied with garlic bread, salad, and carrots.

Lasagna:

2 - 15 oz cans of tomato sauce

2 - 6 ounce cans of tomato paste

1 - 8 oz can of tomato sauce

1 pound ground beef

9 lasagna noodles (why cook the whole pound when you don't need them?)

16 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese

1 tsp. Oregano

1/2 tsp. Black pepper

1/4 tsp. Basil

1/8 tsp. garlic

Prep: Oven to 350, grease 9x13 pan and coat with half of the 8 oz can of tomato sauce

Brown ground beef, drain.

Add in tomato sauce, paste and spices

Cook noddles according to package.

Place three noodles in bottom of pan, then 1/3 of cheese, then 1/3 of meat/sauce mixture. Repeat for three layers (will finish with sauce). Cook uncovered for 30-40 minutes until bubbly around edges and hot in center.

I'll put up more recipes as I have time . . .