Slow-Cooker Marinara

Maybe it's because the only tomatoes I could get were winter tomatoes and they just weren't ripe. Just wasn't enough flavor. Definitely needs more salt. Would probably be better if made with homegrown summer tomatoes. Instead of peeling the tomatoes and chopping, I halved the tomatoes. After a few hours in the crockpot I used tongs and the peels came right off. Then I used a potato masher in the crockpot, returned the lid, and let it continue cooking.

This recipe took a little time to make, so I made it on the weekend. I used it to make the Cooking Light stuffed shells and froze the rest. I thawed it the following weekend to make the vegetable soup. This was quick and Yummy. Like my kids say...this is a keeper!

Our favorite pre-made marinara is no longer being sold, and we have tried every other brand at the grocery store without finding one we loved. So, I thought I would give this recipe a try. My family loved it! This was definitely something that needed to be made over the weekend, though. Unless you happen to have an able sous chef at home, it takes longer than 30 minutes of prep time to chop all the veggies and herbs, and to peel and chop 5.5 lbs. of tomatoes.

Love this sauce! And big hit with family. It makes a lot. A very versatile sauce and so much thicker and tastier than jar sauce. To save time, I used canned tomatoes (3 large cans), and to please my more finicky eaters, I blended most of the sauce so it was smoother.

Great taste. Might even achieve an even greater depth of flavor by adding chopped mushrooms and red and green bell peppers into the mix, as well as a bay leaf while simmering. I'd scale down on the salt and just add it to taste. Great base recipe.

Overall a very delicious marinara. I like the combination of chunky and smooth. Very versatile.