Once a Month Cooking: Beef and Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce

Once a month cooking (OAMC) makes it possible for a busy family to eat nutritious, home cooked meals every night with a minimal amount of preparation time. Recipe components like spaghetti sauce are made ahead of time in large batches and then frozen in single meal portions for later use. Making food ahead once a month - or even once every week or two weeks - takes some planning and a little preparation. But in the long run it will save both time and money. No more stopping at the drive-through or calling out for pizza!

Spaghetti sauce is a versatile starter for many different meals besides pasta dishes: chili, homemade pizza pockets, sloppy joes, stuffed peppers, Spanish rice, casseroles and more. We use a Quebec style recipe that includes carrots, which sweeten the sauce and help to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Once the sauce is cooked it gets frozen. We use some rigid plastic containers, but I prefer to put the sauce in zippered storage bags that I flatten out and stack inside the drawer of the freezer.

Easy Make Ahead Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
12 medium onions, peeled and diced
6-8 carrots, peeled and diced
12 celery stalks, diced
10 lb (4.5 kg) medium ground beef
8-28 oz (796 mL) cans diced tomatoes
8-28 oz (796 mL) cans crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup (60 mL) each dried basil and oregano
8 bell peppers, seeded and chopped coarsely (optional)
2 pints (1 L) fresh mushrooms, chopped (optional)

The onions, carrots and celery are the main ingredients of a traditional mirepoix, used as a base for soups, stews and sauces in French cuisine. They are what make this spaghetti sauce recipe unique. In a large stock pot, saute the three aromatic vegetables in butter or oil until tender. Remove the vegetables and begin to brown the beef. If there is too much meat to fit in the bottom of the stockpot at one time, brown it in batches. Once all the meat is well browned, return the beef and mirepoix to the pot. Add the tomatoes and herbs, and stir well.

Depending on what I plan to prepare with my spaghetti sauce I may omit the peppers and mushrooms completely, or I may cook the sauce down a bit and freeze a portion of it before I add the other vegetables. For things like baked lasagna or macaroni, pizza, chili and so on, I will keep the sauce as is. Beans, mushrooms, peppers and other ingredients can be added when the individual meals are prepared.

This is a long cooking spaghetti sauce, and can be left to simmer all day over medium-low heat. Stir often, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot each time. If you will be away from the pot, keep it covered. The liquid from the diced tomatoes will reduce as the sauce cooks, and the tomato base will take on a slightly rust brown colour. You don't need to add sugar or salt during the cooking, or to thicken with tomato paste or other ingredients. Just be patient while it cooks!

Cool slightly when it reaches the desired consistency, and portion the sauce out as required for the recipes you plan to prepare. Puree some or all of the sauce in your food processor or with a stick blender, if desired. This is a great way to get a few extra vegetables into picky eaters - whether they be kids or spouses! A batch of spaghetti sauce this size feeds my family of six for about four weeks, depending on how many tomato-based dishes we prepare.

Variations on Once a Month Spaghetti Sauce
For a more Italian taste, omit the carrots and add garlic to the spaghetti sauce. Some or all of the celery can be replaced with chopped fennel. Replace some of the beef with Italian sausage, and add a little pancetta to the aromatics when you begin the cooking.

If you like the taste of Cajun food, use the "holy trinity" instead of the French mirepoix: replace the carrots with green peppers. Instead of using basil, opt for Cajun spices such as cayenne, black or white pepper, paprika, garlic and thyme. Oregano is used in Cajun cooking, though you may need to use less in order to achieve the desired taste. Do add salt during the cooking of a Cajun style tomato sauce. Add some stock, rice, and grilled meat or seafood, and you're well on your way to a delicious Jambalaya!