Spaghetti Sauce from the Crockpot

I love a good homemade spaghetti sauce, and what's easier than throwing all the ingredients in the slow cooker for the day? I liked this recipe, but I was surprised the house didn't smell better when I first came home. It has a slightly strange aroma (probably from the herb combination), but it still tasted good so I'd probably make it again. Serve over pasta, with garlic bread and a green salad.

Meat Lover's Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small onions, chopped

1/4 pound bulk Italian sausage

1 pound ground beef

1 teaspoon dried Italian herb seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes

1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon white sugar (I omitted)

Directions:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onions and Italian sausage until the sausage is browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sausage and onions to a slow cooker. In the same skillet, cook and stir the ground beef, Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and marjoram, breaking the meat up as it cooks, until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer the ground beef into the slow cooker.

• Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, thyme, basil, oregano, and 2 teaspoons of garlic powder. Set the cooker on Low, and cook the sauce for 8 hours. About 15 minutes before serving, stir in the sugar. Serve hot.