Bulk Spaghetti

As I mentioned in my $ saving tips, making spaghetti in the bulk can save on cost and provide around 4-5 frozen meals. This recipe can also be used if providing for a large group. If you are providing for less than 8 people though, I would cut the recipe in half. Enjoy : )

Ingredients:

1-1.5 pounds of spicy Italian sausage- the ones in links.
Squeeze out the sausage and cook before adding to the sauce (or ground beef/ turkey). Be sure to drain the grease.
Sauce:

• 4-5 cans of Hunts spaghetti sauce (we can usually find for $1 a can when on sale). You can use any sauce you'd like.

• Chop the following vegetables: 1 medium sized white or yellow onion, 1 green or orange bell pepper, 1 jalapeno pepper, 4-5 cloves of garlic, 1/2 to 1 packet of mushrooms, 1/2 can of olives (be sure to slice), 1-2 tablespoons of fresh cut parsley, 1-2 tablespoons of fresh cut basil (Sometimes I cook the onion, jalapeno pepper and bell pepper with the meat, but other times I just throw those into the sauce)
  
• a handful of the following spices should be added to the sauce: an Italian seasoning blend, garlic salt, dried basil, dried parsley and/ or any other spice you like with pasta
  
• a new addition that we sometimes add when warming up the meal later: 1-2 slices of cooked bacon- chopped in tiny pieces.
  
• We have also added 1/2 a container of the Alfredo sauce when we warm up the sauce if we feel like a little change. It's creamy and adds some flavor. Obviously the additions are fatty, so they are extras if you can spare those calories. If you don't eat meat, this sauce is still very tasty without the meat

When reheating, cook up any type of pasta, heat the sauce, and broil some garlic bread. This meal is great with salad and a bottle of Cabernet or Barbara wine! (some of our favorites for a simple meal like this: Columbia Crest, Bogle, or Redwood Creek-- all of those are between $8-$12).