Can you use ground turkey?

I think the deliciousness comes from the pork fat, but for a leaner sauce, ground turkey works. If you use it, I would brown the meat in a few tablespoons of olive oil.

I hate to chop vegetables 😭 What can I do?

If you want to cut down on the prep time, some grocery stores have prepared mirepoix , a combination of diced carrots, onion, and celery stalks. Look for it in the produce aisle near the other prepped veggies. You will need about 3 1/2 cups. If you hate to chop garlic, buy the minced garlic in a jar and use a generous tablespoon.

What's with the vinegar?

A lot of bolognese sauce recipes call for some kind of acid and I love balsamic vinegar. Some recipes call for wine, so feel free to use that instead of vinegar. I recommend a dry red wine, but you can use a dry white wine, too.

What else can you add to it?

If you want a kick of heat, add some red pepper flakes. For an extra herbal touch, add a bay leaf while it simmers. Just don't forget to fish it out at the end. For serving, add your favorite long pasta shape and garnish the sauce with grated Parmesan cheese and finely chopped fresh parsley.

Slow Cooker Bolognese

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5 from 1 review

This slow cooker bolognese sauce is made with ground beef, pork, crushed tomatoes, and Italian seasonings. It slow cooks in a crockpot for hours until it’s thick and rich. Serve it with pasta for a cozy comfort food dinner.

Author: April Anderson
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 8 cups 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Slow Cooker
Cuisine: Italian-American

Ingredients

Scale

1 pound 90% lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 yellow onion, diced
1 large celery rib, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
4 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt (see note)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (10-ounce) can tomato puree
1/2 cup whole milk

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Instructions

Brown the beef and pork in a skillet and break it apart as it cooks. Add the tomato paste and stir until the paste is coating the meat.
Combine the browned beef with all of the other ingredients in the slow cooker. Stir and then place the lid on top and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Taste the sauce and add more salt if you think it needs it.
Serve with cooked spaghetti or other pasta that you like. Garnish with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes

Beef and pork: There will be excess fat in the pan when you brown the meat. I like to keep it because it gives the dish a rich, delicious flavor. You can drain off some or all of the fat if you prefer.

For the salt: I like to serve bolognese with lots of Parmesan cheese which adds more salt. If you serve your sauce plain you may want to add more salt. Wait until it’s done cooking and then give it a taste – if you think it needs more add a little at a time until you’re happy with it.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 336
Sugar: 10.8g
Sodium: 450mg
Fat: 18.7g
Saturated Fat: 7.1g
Unsaturated Fat: 9.4g
Trans Fat: 0.3g
Carbohydrates: 18.4g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 24.6g
Cholesterol: 79.3mg

Find it online: https://www.girlgonegourmet.com/slow-cooker-bolognese/