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Making the best bolognese sauce for spaghetti bolognese from the slow cooker or pan

Want to make the best bolognese sauce? For years I thought I wouldn't succeed, because Grandma's spaghetti bolognese was number one. But with this bolognese sauce recipe, I'm getting pretty close! From now on I will make this bolognese sauce in the slow cooker, but you can of course also do it in the pan. The secret lies in the time you have to take for it. With the slow cooker you are of course lucky that you don't have to worry about it.

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Make your own bolognese sauce, pure nature

To make this bolognese sauce yourself, all you have to do is follow this recipe. Believe me, I've made bolognese sauce quite a few times in my life, but this one really takes the cake. It therefore takes a bit more time than a spaghetti bolognese from the pan that I put on the table in half an hour. But it is well worth it and I already know that the kids will ask me again next week to make this. It's one of their favorite slow cooker recipes.

Ingredients tasty spaghetti bolognese sauce

This dish is for at least 4-5 people. I even think you'll have some left over after making the bolognese sauce, unless it's really too tasty!

  • olive oil
  • 2 onions
  • 3 celery stalks
  • 3 carrots
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 small can of tomato paste
  • ± 800 grams of minced beef or vegetarian minced meat
  • thyme (dried thyme or fresh thyme, 1 teaspoon)
  • oregano (dried or fresh, 1 teaspoon)
  • pepper to taste
  • a little nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon maggi garden herbs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • a cup of milk
  • a cup of red wine
  • 2 cans of tomato pieces (I use the organic version)
  • 1 bay leaf

Make your own delicious bolognese sauce

  • Peel and chop the onions
  • peel the celery (peeler) and cut it into small slices or pieces
  • peel the carrot and cut it into small slices or pieces
  • Fry the vegetables in a wok until the onion becomes translucent
  • Crush the garlic and add it together with the tomato puree, fry gently for a while
  • add the minced meat (if the pan is too small, you can set the vegetables aside)
  • add the thyme, oregano, salt, nutmeg, pepper and maggi garden herbs
  • curl the mincemeat until light brown
  • add the cup of milk and let it simmer until thickened
  • add the red wine and let it simmer as well
  • Sieve the cans with tomato pieces and keep the tomato juice aside
  • finish the bolognese sauce in the slow cooker or pan

Making Bolognese sauce in the slow cooker

  • After the above steps, put everything in the slow cooker
  • add the tomato pieces and the bay leaf
  • turn the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours

After this, the homemade bolognese sauce is ready. Enjoy your meal!

Get ready for some work for this spaghetti bolognese sauce

If you want to make this bolognese sauce, make sure you allow some time (30 minutes approximately) before you can put it all in the slow cooker (or pan).

Tip:Do the preparation the night before, put it in the fridge and in the morning everything is ready to put straight in the slow cooker. Handy if you have to leave the house immediately after the morning ritual.

Serving the homemade bolognese sauce

Delicious with spaghetti, but also excellent to use if you want to make lasagna, for example. A little grated cheese on top and some fresh basil and you're done.

Finish the Bolognese sauce further in the pan

  • add the tomato pieces to the pan
  • add the bay leaf
  • Let everything simmer on the lowest setting for at least an hour, stirring every now and then
  • is the sauce too thick? then add a little of the leftover tomato juice

Personally, I find the bolognese sauce from the slow cooker a lot tastier than the one from the pan. And easier.